


There Are No Coincidences

by Kirabaros



Series: Call of Duty: Ghosts [1]
Category: Call of Duty (Video Games), Call of Duty: Ghosts - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-17 14:16:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 131,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14190795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirabaros/pseuds/Kirabaros
Summary: She was just a soldier in the army. To her people she was a born warrior, a kin to the eagle. Then she meets up with the Walker boys and finds herself in an elite group of warriors called the Ghosts. Sequoia "White Hawk" Williams didn't know what to expect as she joined the Ghosts in their hunt for a man named Rorke and fighting the Federation, except to learn what it means to be Lakota Sioux and herself.





	1. Chapter 1

_It all started with takeover of ODIN. The Federation took control of the precision targeting space platform and began targeting cities in the United States. The result was a breaking of the truce that had existed after the destruction of the Middle East and war was upon us. For ten years the war raged on until there was a stalemate. Both sides were looking at each other waiting for the other to blink but with that came quiet. It was the calm before the storm that paved the way for something else…_

The Fed were all over the place as they tried to breach the beachfront at Fort Santa Monica. The fire was heavy and unrelenting. Sequoia squinted through her sights as she looked for the more immediate threats to their lines and they were everywhere as she looked from her vantage point in the trenches. Maybe this was the result of that funny feeling that she had all day from the time that she woke up to the time she was directed out to her patrol by Command.

Ever since that morning there was something off about everything. Sequoia could never explain it, not even to her patrol mates how she knew something was going to happen. No one took her gut feelings lightly either. They had kept her alive the past ten years after the Federation took control of ODIN and targeted her home leaving her alone; at least she thought so, in the world. She had no word of her parents that remained on the reservation in New Mexico while her father fostered relations between the nations and resigned herself to avenging their deaths and making sure that no one else would have to go through that.

It was pretty much everyone's story or everyone had a story like that who joined up to fight against the Fed. She joined and never looked back and plowed ahead. She had nowhere else to go so she dedicated herself to the fight. Her 'gut instinct' made her legendary in some respects and earned ire from others. One of the major things was that it was considered she didn't play too well with authority. She didn't care. She was there to fight the Fed and she would be damned if they took this home from her as well.

"Fuck they're everywhere." It was accompanied by gunfire from next to her that it was almost deafening.

Sequoia spared a glance at her partner and friend Carol as she fired her weapon at the advancing enemy. She felt a sense of gladness at the presence of her partner that she was still alive in this fight. "And they're going to get nothing but lead from me."

Carol ducked and put a hand to her helmet as an RPG hit their embankment. She felt the dirt and debris that flew from the explosion hit her on the shoulders as she looked up to see her friend pop back up from her crouched position and continued to fire. "I'm so not cut out for this."

"You may be right. You are a medic," Sequoia countered without any malice behind it.

"And the only reason I'm out here is because it's all hands on deck," Carol countered as she scampered over to where a soldier had gone down and was grabbing his shoulder. She pulled out bandages to plug the wound.

Sequoia gave a slight smirk at that. Carol had been the medic for her team the past five years. The woman had been a doctor when she enlisted and the first thing that was obvious to Sequoia was that the woman didn't like shooting guns. Sure she had trained for it but the woman hated it and didn't like combat but she was damn good in the field in terms of patching up things. Sequoia made it her personal job to keep an eye on Carol and safe. It ended up cementing a bond of friendship to the point that the men thought the end of the world had come. Their sergeant was not known for making friends. She went in and did the job and expected others to do the same.

It was hard for those outside the team to comprehend but there was a modicum of respect. The men valued their leader's expertise and they worked together to make sure everyone was more or less intact when they came back from patrol sweeps of the Wall. They were considered the best next to Viking Six and Viking Five. Rumor had it that they took out a whole patrol with their dog.

Sequoia knew all this and didn't think much of it. She did make much of her men in terms of making sure that they were good to go and if someone was hurt she made sure they made it back. She could be a hard ass but she did care. She watched Carol take care of one of her guys but he ended up dying from bleeding out and she had to admire Carol's strength to return to the line. She said, "We may have to fall back."

"There's still Harris and Potts," Carol pointed out. She knew they had to hold the line even though it looked dire. She was willing to do it because someone had to look after her friend who would go on a suicide mission if it called for it.

Sequoia looked at the situation. It was getting dire. She could see that they were losing ground. "Tell them to pull back and regroup with Tango squad. You go too."

"And you?"

"Staying at my post. Rigging up a few explosions and giving them hell," Sequoia replied giving Carol a grin. She patted her friend's helmet to indicate that she was to get moving and that was an order.

"And my professional opinion is that you are insane as always," Carol replied as she turned to relay the order to the remaining men of the squad. She looked at her friend and saw that she was indeed preparing to give a very loud explosion and shook her head.

Sequoia looked over her embankment and noted the advancing enemy. She didn't have much time. She called in, "Command, this is Echo Three, hostiles advancing and we're losing ground."

_Roger that Echo, can you hold position?_

"Negative, Command. Fall backing to next position but leaving a nice surprise for Fed." Sequoia ran through her empty line and laid down what she had finished.

_Roger Echo. Fall back to nearest position and continue fire._

"Roger that."

_We are losing ground. We need you to help reinforce the beachfront._

_On our way. Any word from Captain Walker's command post?_

Sequoia paused only for a moment to hear what was going on. She was familiar with Captain Walker since she was assigned to his command. He assigned her patrols accordingly and always treated her… she wasn't sure how to describe it. She was always business when it came to orders but his mannerism to her was different. In return she lightened up a bit and they had interesting conversations. If Carol was there, she would have said that she was fond of the Captain and in that respectful way.

_Negative. Defensive teams were holding that position…_

Sequoia looked around and it felt like her breath was taken away. If Captain Walker was KIA or seriously injured… She couldn't think the worst but it was a very real possibility. And her friend Carol was right. She was fond of the man and it was because he gave her a chance in terms of command. Up until five years ago she had been put down even as she advanced to the rank she deserved. She was not taken seriously until she had been called in by the Captain.

She was nervous then but she maintained that look of calm as she had been taught and what had been assumed to be the stereotype of her people. It was a bit of a put off for people who didn't understand but for those that got to know her, it was a mask to hide what she was truly feeling and it was something she excelled at ever since she was a child. It was this look of calm she had when she walked into the Captain's command.

The man was well known in military circles. He knew his stuff and was respected for it. Sequoia admired his courage during the early part of the war and now he was speaking to her. It had been a total surprise when he asked her where she was from and what her background was. She had been taken aback and wondered why he was asking and looked at him with a look of suspicion. It was bold but she only responded with name, rank and serial.

That seemed to please him since he nodded and beckoned to her stand at ease. The first part was the rundown of her career thus far and he pointed out a few noteworthy comments from her superiors that were total bullshit but nevertheless she wasn't able to argue. She owned up to it and even gave certain 'corrections' that had not been noted. Captain Walker merely nodded at her and looked at what he had on her. In the end he said that he needed someone to lead one of his squads and that he was appointing her to the job.

He had told her what he was doing with his back turned towards her. When he announced his decision he had turned to gauge her reaction. She responded with a calm air and stood at attention to accept. Since that day she was Echo Three and leader of Echo Squad. Also since then the captain had become more open and tried to encourage her to open up as well. Her gut said to but this time she was wary about it but the captain didn't seem to mind. It was like he knew what she was thinking and responded accordingly.

Now it looked like there might be a possibility… Sequoia shook her head and went about the business of setting the last of the charges. She couldn't think about that now even though she was struck with the slightest feelings of dread and possible sadness of that possibility. She was going to make life a living hell for the Fed. Once it was set she called, "Command, this is Echo Three. Pulling back and waiting to light up the ground."

_Roger. All units be advised danger close near sector zero seven eight niner. Echo Three has the green light._

Sequoia ran to a nearby hole. She was still in the trenches but it was the best cover and she had a good position. She watched and waited. She fired her weapon to draw them in closer and as many as possible. When she was sure, she let it rip. The explosion that followed really lit up the ground. Sequoia peeked over at the sight of her handiwork and gave an approving nod. That was a good kill.

_Echo Three good kill. You bought time for the A10 drones._

"Roger that, Echo Three out."

It was business as usual but Sequoia was separated from her squad. Still she ran through the lines taking out the enemy and grabbing ammo along the way. She paused only a moment to note that the enemy was retreating. She frowned at that though. That didn't seem right. She watched as the enemy popped smoke to… "Command, hostiles marking our guys with smoke. Artillery inbound."

_Copy that. All units enemy artillery inbound._

Sequoia watched as the artillery bombarded the defensive positions. It made her a bit careless and a round grazed her arm. She ducked and looked up to see enemy helicopters inbound. This was going to be a shit hole for sure.

"You couldn't stay out of trouble long enough could you?"

Sequoia looked up to see Carol already at work looking at her arm. She didn't bother to question how the medic found her. "It's a scratch. Where's the squad?"

Carol become quiet for a moment, "They fell back to the defensive position. Artillery got them."

_Command we have enemy birds suppressing our position! What's the ETA on those drones?_

_A10 drones en route. ETA thirty seconds._

"Like we have thirty seconds," Sequoia muttered while getting back to her feet. She would mourn her squad later. Right now she had Carol to worry about and they were stuck in the middle of heavy fire and it looked like relief was on the way but they were losing the beach. "We need to stay out of Fed sight and make our way to the defensive position. A10 drone are out."

“Don't have to tell me twice. Lead the way,” Carol replied as she loaded a fresh mag.

Sequoia began to move out. She was right in that the Fed was storming the beach. They were losing ground and fast. She could only hope that the A10s would get there on time to save what was left. They would hold their ground though.

_A10s are on station and ready for tasking._

Sequoia pulled Carol into a trench to hide from the drone fire. Whoever was taking control was making it fast and accurate and that was a relief. "At least someone can shoot."

"Better them than me. You know me. I don't like guns," Carol joked. She adjusted her position and looked around the trench.

At that moment an explosion sounded. Both women looked to see one of the balconies of the defensive positions fall. They could see men failing as they fell to the ground. Some did manage to survive and were taking cover since they were in the trenches.

_Drone Control's defensive teams are reporting massive casualties and need assistance._

Sequoia looked at Carol. If Drone Control fell then they were screwed. She looked at Carol and the woman nodded. She called, "Command this is Echo Three acknowledging sit rep. Heading to Drone Control now using the trenches."

_Roger, Echo Three._

_We're moving through the trenches! Hang tight, we'll get there!_

_All defensive units be advised! Friendlies are moving through the trenches towards Drone Control. Watch your fire!_

"Just another day at the park, Carol."

"Fuck you, Sequoia."

They gave each other a fist-bump and started moving through the trenches. The Fed was crawling all over the place but if they didn't get there and secure Control they were going to lose the beach. The drones were the only thing that were keeping the beaches from being completely overrun. Sequoia took point and began to clear the path. It was like doing drills when she was trying to better Carol's shoot ratio. It sucked horribly but it did develop a sense of teamwork and cemented a firm friendship.

Carol's rifle was going off and picking off hostiles that were trying to flank them or came out of the woodwork. It was a well-developed strategy that served them both a couple of times on patrol. The squad had picked up on it and they had adapted it to squad size and it worked. Now it was back down to two and they were against huge odds.

They ran past sandbag mounds that really didn't do shit for cover but it was better than nothing even when you had Kevlar. Sequoia felt the sand from the beach sticking to her skin from the sweat pouring down her face and neck. She could hear shouts of people calling that men were down and where targets were. It was loud and unrelenting but they had to push forward. Somewhere along the way a couple of their guys from other teams joined to help clear a path.

_We're surrounded on all sides! What's your ETA?_

_We're almost there. Hold on!_

"Copy that. Echo Three almost there."

They pushed forward and Sequoia thought she heard Spanish so she pressed against the wall and put a hand back to press Carol to the wall. It was gone and she heard voices. It sounded like their guys so she risked it after indicating that Carol should stay back and be ready. She wasn't going to take chances. If she got hit, then Carol would be fine and she would take down as many as she could.

With Carol pressed against the wall with her gun ready, Sequoia took a deep breath before coming around the corner. She was prepared to fire with her rifle up and she aimed. The result ended up with her coming face to face with another soldier who was pointing his rifle at her. First thoughts were that he was fearless and a good soldier. Another thought that struck her, and was very unusual, was that he had a nice pair of green eyes.

"Name and rank," he said.

"Echo Three," she replied, well aware that it wasn't what he was asking. He wasn't lowering his weapon so she wasn't either. "You?"

"Lt. Hesh Walker… Sergeant."

It was a standoff as Sequoia studied him and went with her gut. She kept her weapon up and diverted her gaze and her gun and fired. The dead Fed fell into the trench and she lowered her weapon and stared silently at the lieutenant. As far as she knew, she was in trouble for her attitude towards a superior officer but now wasn't the time. She said, "Trenches are crawling with them."

Lt. David "Hesh" Walker looked at the sergeant that in most cases would have been considered undermining the chain of command. His first impression was that she was a bitch because of her attitude but also impressive. He had heard of Sergeant Sequoia "White Hawk" Williams and he was certain she was the one that set off the fireworks below to buy some time to hold the beach. Her team was well known during the sweeps of the Wall and couple of missions they had been sent on. Their motto was 'Into the Breach' or something like that. Some of the stuff was stories that were embellished by the men as was wont to happen.

At this point it looked like they were going to need some help and since he had heard that Echo Three was responding to aid for Drone Control, he wasn't going to turn down help. He replied, "Only too true sergeant."

Sequoia lowered her weapon and looked around while Carol came out to reveal that she wasn't alone. "We're making for Drone Control."

"Same here. You're welcome to join. We could use the extra hands."

"Funny. I was about to say the same thing to you," Sequoia replied. She knew that she was being disrespectful but something compelled her to be; like that was the only way to gain acceptance. It was strange and probably stupid but it was that gut thing again and she went with it. "My medic, Echo Five," she introduced Carol who nodded.

"Hesh. My brother, Logan," Hesh replied. While it was probably not the best of times to be making introductions, it had reduced the tensions long enough to agree to work together and then later go back to deciding who had the bigger bite. "Let's move out."

Sequoia followed behind Hesh and was in turn followed by Logan and Carol. They continued on towards control and ended up running into a large hovercraft that was flying over the trenches. It wasn't one of theirs so that meant that it was one of the Fed. She paused to study the thing as it flew overhead and her eyes scanned it out of habit. If she had the weaponry she would try to take it out. She returned to business and signaled Carol to fall into formation.

"Drone control! Enemy forces are swarming at your door! We need air support on your position. It's the only way we'll be able to get through," Hesh called through the comms. He fired at the hostiles that were in the trenches and trying to slow them down. He was surprised though to see that Sequoia had passed him up and was pushing forward and behind her was her medic covering her flank like a two man tank.

_Roger that! Repositioning drones now! The tower will be in your kill zone! Watch your fire!_

Hesh looked at the two man team as they took cover. They were anticipating the air strike. He called to his brother, "Call em in! Make sure to direct your fire away from the tower!"

Sequoia took cover and fired at the hostiles from her position while occasionally checking to see if Carol was still there. She teased, "Still with me Doc?"

"Bite me," Carol replied with a slight grin as she fired her weapon. She noticed the drones firing as they took out enemy armor. "Looks like our partners are good shots… not that you'd ever notice." She smirked when she saw the look her friend was giving her.

Sequoia gave a look and covered the one called Logan while he directed the drones to draw fire from the tower. He was good she could admit but that didn't mean that she was impressed. Being beaten down by her successes sort of put the whole thing about showboating out of her and she did the same to her guys. She continued to so her job until the second drone was hit by enemy fire and it struck the tower. She heard Hesh calling the tower and getting nothing. "Tower's down," she said with harsh realization.

"Shit! Come on let's move!" Hesh hadn't wanted to admit it but it looked like the beach was going to be overrun. Still they had to make sure. He signaled for them to move out.

Sequoia followed behind Hesh as they headed towards the damaged tower. There were still hostiles all around so she narrowed her eyes and covered the leader while trusting in Carol and Logan to do the same. They cleared out the entrance and Hesh called, "That's the last of 'em. Let's move."

Sequoia moved lightly on her feet to take point. She passed Hesh and Logan and ended up at the door to look around. Dirt clung to her face, darkening her skin, forcing it into shadow. From the view of her companions she looked like a being that wasn't quite human. She radioed, "Command, drone control is down. Moving in to evac the injured, over."

_All units this is Command. A10 Drone Support is now offline. Fall back to secondary defensive positions. I repeat all units retreat from the beach._

"Let's go!"

Sequoia pulled on Carol's vest and started following Hesh through the buildings along with Logan. Air artillery was being dropped at the same time and it was not helping as troopers were falling back to the secondary positions. "Keep up Doc!"

At that moment Logan slipped and Sequoia forced herself to stop and help him up. Artillery exploded around them, sending debris up. She yanked on his arm since he had slipped while trying to get up. When she turned though… One second Carol was there, the next second and explosion hit in front and Carol was no longer there. It was not her voice when she screamed out, "Carol!"

There was nothing there and the artillery was getting fiercer and she had someone who needed her help now. She used her other hand to pull Logan to his feet. He had been hit in the head with a chunk of debris and was sporting a cut that looked worse than what it was. She pushed him to follow Hesh and gave a backwards glance to whisper good bye.

"Dad's place is down the next street! Hurry!"

Sequoia snapped her attention towards Hesh and Logan. She covered the flank as she followed them and thought she heard a dog barking. She was right and it turned out that it was their dog, Riley who joined them in taking down enemies from the street. She had no idea where she was going or why she was even sticking with Hesh and Logan but she stayed and covered.

"Enemies behind us! We gotta get inside!"

Sequoia was prepared to remain behind but she was grabbed by the shoulder of her vest and urged inside by Hesh. She really didn't have the heart to scowl at that since she realized that they were at the captain's command. She started following Riley and tailed by Logan with Hesh being the last one looking for Elias Walker. Their way was blocked and only Logan was able to get through. Hesh told him to go upstairs and they would find another way through. They did find another way through and Hesh shouted, "Logan!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey we just saved your asses!”

"We didn't need your help!"

Sequoia looked at Hesh who was arguing with the one that was more of a hot head than she was when pissed and at the other who was calmer and watching the scene unfold. She turned her attention towards Logan and started looking at the injury on his chest. He had been stabbed in the chest by the Fed that ambushed him.

Hesh had tried to get to his brother after the Fed knocked away Riley. Sequoia had done the automatic thing and leapt forward while giving a war whoop. She landed on the back of the Fed and had her knife out and had jammed it into the neck, severing the artery. The arterial spray hit her in the face and mingled with the blackened dirt on her face in an interesting pattern that made her look fierce. She used that to react when the ceiling collapsed and several armed men rappelling down. Thinking they were the enemy, she flipped her rifle that was slung over her shoulder up and swung it like a bat and hit one across the face. She would have turned on the others but she had been grabbed in a bear hug and hauled up.

She struggled on the way up and she managed to head butt her captive with the back of her head and had him grunt but he held fast. She was set into the chopper and she glared at them but her first attention went to Logan when he was brought in. He was still bleeding and he was a man down. Now she would be pleasant since it was their chopper and their rules. She pulled out the med kit from a case nearby and started looking at the injury on Logan's chest with a practiced eye. "Your brother's right. It looks worse than it is. Just needs some stitches."

Logan winced slightly from the sting as she wiped away the grime and blood with an alcohol soaked cloth. It was a relief considering that he could've died but he didn't. Now he was on a chopper and his older brother was arguing with the Ghost called Merrick they had met in No Man's Land. The sergeant they had picked up seemed to be the only calm one there and it helped to slow things down. Maybe she needed it since… He looked at her and said in a slightly ragged voice, "Thanks."

"Hey, had a man hit," she replied with a slight twitch of her lips into a smile. She looked at Logan and noticed that he was vastly different in his appearance to his brother except for maybe the nose. It looked like the captain's but that was just her observation. "Hold that there," she indicated that Logan was to hold the cloth in place. She looked at the two men going at it and said after sighing, "Knock it off!"

Hesh dropped what he was doing and looked at Sequoia surprised that she was still being insubordinate. He wasn't going to complain since she was attending to his brother. The other thing was that he had been impressed with her despite the fact that she had actually hit one of their rescuers and was prepared to take on the whole group by herself. The other, Merrick though didn't see it that way. He walked over to her and replied, "And who do you think you are?"

Sequoia stood up and looked at Merrick with an impassioned look. The blood from the Fed she had knifed had sprayed across her face and it gave an almost grisly appearance that was almost not human at all. She replied, "Just a sergeant agreeing with the lieutenant. We didn't need help."

Merrick narrowed his eyes. He was already sporting the beginnings of a black eye from where he had been hit by the butt of her rifle. He pushed at both her and Hesh and got in their faces. She didn't flinch when he said with narrowed eyes, "The hell you didn't."

Sequoia couldn't help but mutter something loud enough for everyone to hear. It wasn't in English but the meaning was clear and it produced a silence that made everyone wonder if a fight was going to break out. She stared defiantly at Merrick as she turned towards Logan to make sure that it was okay before breaking out the needle and thread since it was going to be rough enough suturing up in a moving flying vehicle but she could do it. Her pose was so still she could have been a statue and had she known it, it was intimidating to the other men there as they watched the scene while their leader came forth and said, "Stow it! All of you!"

Hesh took the opportunity to speak, "We have to go back. Our dad's down there and we're not leaving without him!"

"That's real admirable of you," the leader said as he motioned for Hesh to sit back down next to his brother. He barely glanced at Sequoia while he was looking over the boys.

Sequoia was busy with the needle and thread. While Hesh had been busy trying to get them to go back, she went to work on Logan and stitched up what needed to be done. It would have surprised her men but she had to thank Carol for teaching her how to suture quickly and cleanly. She was finished by the time she realized that the leader was looking at her too. She was squatting and had tossed aside the left over thread and needle and applying the gauze patch when she looked over and it looked like they were in a staring match. She said calmly even though she longed to burst out like Hesh, "He is our captain. We need to know."

The leader stared at her and she got the feeling that this was awfully familiar. It certainly felt familiar and her gut was telling her that it was. She moved slightly back even though she was still squatting and it was almost involuntary. He said more to Hesh and Logan, "Your father's not there anymore."

Sequoia had enough heartache for the day. She had lost her best friend and now the boys lost their father. After a long stalemate and now death… it seemed bleak. It wasn't bleak for long though when the leader removed his mask. Sequoia felt her eyes widen slightly as she looked at the man that was her captain. It was baffling to her as she listened to Hesh go on about being a Ghost. She had no idea that was who they were when they came in from the roof of the building. She just stared to process everything in silence and not sure of what to think.

There had been stories of fierce soldiers who struck fear into the hearts of the Federation but she never believed them. In her mind there was no room for ghost stories. What good was a story when you had the harsh realities surrounding you with bloodshed and death? When they descended from the roof, she thought they were the enemy and reacted accordingly. The Walker boys were not part of her team but they were soldiers for the same cause and that meant you watched each other's backs. It was a relief though to see that Captain Elias Walker was still alive. That meant at least some hope in the fight.

Silently she moved away to leave the boys with their father. It wasn't any of her business anyway. More likely they'll drop her off at a base and she would be reassigned and probably would be a general dogsbody again. She felt something wet touch her shoulder and she looked to see Riley looking at her and her lip twitched into a smile as she reached out and rubbed his ears. "Good boy," she murmured.

"Sergeant."

Sequoia looked up to see that Elias was looking at her. Apparently he was confused as to why she was not there even though she thought it was clear. She glanced at the others looking at her like she was the odd one. Well she was… at least that was what she thought. She had no place here; she was along for the ride and awaiting new orders; that she was certain of since the others there were men. It had hit that Elias would no longer be her captain so she resigned herself to being excluded but it seemed that wasn't to be the case.

She stood up and took a couple cautious steps forward towards Elias. "Sir?"

Elias looked at the sergeant before looking at his sons. "This has been difficult but once I make a choice, there's no turning back. Hesh, you and your brother still have a lot to learn." He looked at Sequoia and addressed her, "The same to you Hawk and I have a feeling you'll be teaching each other a few things but all three of you have passed all of your tests. Welcome to the Ghosts."

"We're ready. We won't let you down," Hesh replied. He glanced over at his brother who nodded and then at Sequoia and her expression baffled him. There was nothing expressive on her face but he thought he detected confusion but it was not easily seen even though the grime and blood on her face made her look intimidating. It was curious since in the trenches she was nothing but a soldier and quick to give sass if the occasion called for it. Now it was like this was a new person entirely who clearly expected something else and had gotten this opportunity instead.

He waited until Elias went to take care of something before taking a seat next to Logan and inspected the wound. He commented, "Not a bad job. You all right little brother?"

Logan pushed his brother's hand away, "I'm fine." He really was fine now. The sergeant they picked up did a good job on patching him up but he had been more impressed at the cool manner in which she took everything. "Like you said, looks worse than it is."

Hesh still checked his brother. He was going to snap his finger to have Riley come over since that Fed knocked Riley away hard but stopped. She was sitting by the dog and running her fingers through the dog's fur while muttering something inaudible. It was like she had isolated herself from the group and in his experience that wasn't a good thing since they were supposed to be a team.

"Dude, leave her alone," Logan said to get his brother's attention.

Hesh looked at Logan, "What are you talking about?"

"I know what you're thinking and I'm just saying to leave her alone for a bit," Logan said. He was certain that she could hear them even though they were talking loud enough for only each other to hear and they had trained long enough to communicate without words. At his brother's silent query he said, "She lost her friend back there."

Hesh listened to his brother's words and then glanced over at Sequoia. She was petted Riley and moving her hands along his body. The dog had taken a hard hit and it looked like she was going over him and making sure he was okay. "The medic?"

"Are you blind, Hesh?" Logan shook his head. Hesh may be a good leader when it came to their jobs on the frontlines and missions but sometimes he missed the painfully obvious. He tended to get caught up on other things. It was the same when they were in school. "Yeah the medic was her friend."

"They were friends?"

It was hard to comprehend since they both heard about Echo Three and what a hard ass she was. She was tough but her guys defended her and she was not known for sentimentality. The idea that she was coping was strange to Hesh and as usual his little brother picked up on it quicker than he did. He looked at his brother while Logan adjusted his position to get more comfortable since they still had a couple of hours till they reached base.

Logan watched the processing going on in his brother's mind. He knew that Hesh was still going to consider going over and talking to Sequoia. He had been through this before and had given his advice but Hesh was a stubborn ass just like he was. It didn't always work out well for Hesh. He remembered the last time and that was two years ago. "Hesh, just leave her alone. When she's ready…"

"Do you know her?"

"Just only what we've both heard and I for one would like to not be on her bad side."

"You're not on my bad side, Logan."

Both brothers looked up to see that Sequoia was looking at them and she was deliberately and gently stroking the fur on Riley's side. They had only been talking between themselves and certainly not shouting it for everyone else to hear. It was a tense moment though since she was staring at them and her face was still covered with grime and blood and it looked intimidating. Logan replied, "That's good since…" He tapped his chest.

Sequoia smiled and just went back to petting Riley. She ran her hands along his midsection in a gentle and controlled manner. She only paused when Riley lifted his head and gave an inquisitive whine. Smiling she petted him on the head and rubbed his ears. Her reward was a lick to the underside of her wrist and he put his head down in her lap.

"He likes you," Logan said noting that his brother was being unusually quiet.

"Nah," Sequoia replied, "I just soothed a hurt." She looked at Hesh and said, "He's fine by the way. It's just a sore spot." She demonstrated by indicating that Riley should get up and the dog did. She gave a slight nod of her head and Riley marched up to Hesh.

Logan watched as Riley obeyed her. Hesh was Riley's primary handler but they both had trained and raised the dog since he was a pup. To obey commands from a relative stranger so readily… that was something. He was impressed and he was curious to know more about her as a person. He chuckled as he watched Hesh give Riley a pat and said he was a good boy and then looked to see Sequoia sitting curled up in a tight ball. He sat back and observed her well aware that Hesh was doing the same while paying attention to Riley.

Sequoia knew she was being looked at by the Walker boys. It was a rather strange 'arrangement'. She glanced over in the direction of the other Ghosts. The one named Merrick gave her rather an evil eye and the other, quieter one was looking at her like she was an oddity. She looked back at the Walker boys and rested her arms on her drawn up knees and rested her chin on them. There were some questions that she had wanted answered.

"Sir, can I have a word please?"

Elias looked at Sequoia. She had cleaned up a little but the blood was still over her face. It was hard to do in a chopper but the calm manner still had a way of commanding attention. He noticed that Merrick scowled at her and suppressed a chuckle since the shiner he was sporting was a sign of interesting times ahead. He replied, "Alright." He nodded for Merrick to leave. “Have a seat.”

Sequoia waited until Merrick had passed before Standing next to Elias. She put her hands behind her back as she stood there with her captain. It was an interesting exercise in balance but it worked. Mentally she thought about what she was going to say as she took the time to observe the Ghosts and the Walker boys. It was a new environment but one she could work with.

"What do you want to talk about Hawk?" Elias' words brought her to the present since it was clear that he had been expecting her to speak first.

Sequoia sighed, not at all put out by the fact that Elias had used her warrior name. She replied, "I just have a question… why?"

Elias had been wondering when she was going to ask that question. The length of time was an indicator that she had either improved on her patience or had time to think about things. Or she would rather have this conversation in private than in front of the others. Either way, it indicated to him that she was going to do well as a Ghost. Glancing at her, Elias continued walking and replied, "Because I thought you would do well as a Ghost."

"Sir."

Elias stopped walking and turned to see that Sequoia was looking at him with a silent demand to tell the truth. He had kept this secret a long time from his boys and finally told them the truth. He could do the same for her. "Do you remember the story of how you received your warrior name?"

"Before I was born, my father had a dream. He saw a white hawk swooping down upon its enemies visible only for a moment and gone the next. He saw men tremble in fear at the sight of it," Sequoia replied as she recalled the story. "He told you that story when you visited before the war."

"That is only partially true, Hawk," Elias said. He took in Sequoia's parade rest stance. There was never such a thing as a relaxed state with her, at least when business was concerned. Seeing her puzzled look, he explained, "He told me yes only after I confirmed along with your people's shaman that we had the same dream. You were only the baby then."

"You had the same dream?"

"It was strange to the shaman as well but I did." Elias looked at her and then turned to look at the landscape of their base. "We were there for your naming ceremony. Hesh was almost a year and you were six months at the time."

"My father respected you greatly," Sequoia offered more out of politeness. She knew that they knew each other. "He said that you saved his life."

"It was the other way around. Charles was always modest," Elias corrected. He sighed at the memories before he continued, "Your father gave you a warrior's name much to the displeasure and surprise of your people. They didn't say much because the shaman was in agreement with him. Later he told me that it was rare to have a woman be born a warrior."

"That doesn't really explain why," Sequoia pointed out. She knew that her people eyed her warily when she was a girl. Women were not warriors. Men were and that was the way of things. It sort of set her on the path she was on now. "My father said that I was to be a different breed of warrior. I would still be Lakota Sioux but I would not be of my people. I guess he was right since I thought it meant that it would be a different battlefield I would fight on. I went on to try and become an artist and fight for my people by painting our history."

Elias was well aware of that. The day ODIN had been turned against them, he had learned that she had arrived in San Diego with a collection of her painting and charcoal works. An exhibit was to be put up and he had intended to take a look. Things didn't end up that way. He wondered if that was what his old friend had seen when they had last spoken.

"I guess it didn't work out that way, sir. After ODIN, I joined and I became a soldier so I did become a warrior," she was saying.

"That is not entirely true, Hawk."

"What do you mean?"

Elias took a breath and replied, "Before ODIN, your father came by to speak with me. He was on his way to New Mexico with your mother." He noticed the look that passed on her face. She was putting something together in her mind. He continued, "He came to speak to me about you. He told me that he had the dream he had twice before again."

"Was he well?"

"He was," Elias answered, noting the concern. "He told me that another war was on the horizon and one that he would not live to see."

"He knew," Sequoia whispered trying to keep the tears in. She hadn't cried since the day ODIN attacked and she realized that her parents were gone.

"I always wondered about that," Elias admitted, "And he wouldn't say anything about how he knew. Maybe there was more to Charles Thundering Bear Williams than people knew." He cleared his throat slightly before continuing, "Anyway he told me that there was a war coming that he wouldn't be able to fight because he wouldn't live to see. He said that I would live to see it and that you would be there; that it was a war you would fight and become the White Hawk of his dream. You would be the warrior of a different kind."

"But I'm a soldier, sir."

"And now you are a Ghost," Elias said with a determined air. "You passed your tests as they came. You have no idea how hard it was to watch for five years as you fought, led and survived."

"You requested that I be transferred under your command," Sequoia replied more of a statement than a query.

Elias nodded, "Yes. It was time to see how you would do where I had a better eye on you. I gave you Echo Squad and while hard because you are my goddaughter so to speak, I had to give you the chance like I did with my boys."

"Yet it seemed different that they went to No Man's Land on recon and I was on Wall patrol and then assigned to the trenches," Sequoia pointed out. "I hardly see how it could be a test unless it was one on how well I follow orders."

"Partially but also because I needed you there. Your presence in the trenches made all the difference especially when the Federation attacked the beach. Your fighting and ingenuity with the explosives… it only shows how well you can act in the field." He studied her expression. She seemed to accept her fate in terms of what happened but Elias sensed that there was more to it than what she was showing. "Then the way you defended my sons… It was further proof that you were a Ghost."

"I don't know." As much as it was relief to hear the truth from Elias, Sequoia still wasn't sure about her position here. Most would have considered it an honor but… She didn't know if she would truly belong. She only did what she did for Hesh and Logan because they were fellow soldiers and you looked out for each other. "Elias, I signed up to fight the Federation. I am not seeking glory or anything. That was stamped out of me before I was assigned to you and I never had any illusions to such anyway. I lost my whole unit at Santa Monica and I just don't think I am the one you want."

Elias noted that she called him by name. It was a first since she always called him 'sir'. It made him feel old at times but he understood she was giving him respect not only as a soldier but as the way warriors deferred respect to the elder warriors as was the way of the Lakota Sioux. He could understand why she was having doubts. "Hawk, I know how you feel. I have lost men too and it has taken a toll. The choices made, sometimes they haunt but if they were the best at the time made…"

"Hardly comfort but I understand," Sequoia interrupted but with understanding. "Still… I don't know what you want with me."

"I could tell you that it is because of a personal promise to your father that I would look after you but that would only be a partial truth." Elias knew he caught her attention when she looked at him with a slightly sharp look. She was curious about what his motives were. He continued, "The other part is that maybe I believe that you were meant for more than a soldier in the trenches; that I believed in that dream."

Sequoia didn't say anything and Elias noted that. She wasn't sure what to make of it. He did believe that she was meant to be someone other than a soldier. Her silence signaled to him that he could tell her more, "I believe that you are a warrior of your people but not of them; that you would cleanse the land of those that oppress us… like the dancers once showed."

Sequoia said nothing but she knew what Elias meant. She looked up at him and they shared a look. The silence was only punctuated by Elias saying, "Ghosts do dance."

“Maybe you’re right,” she said after a pause.


	3. Chapter 3

Elias could be considered a man of few regrets. As he said, once he made a decision, there was no going back. It was his way of saying that he was confident in it. Looking down at his boys, he watched as Sequoia walked back towards them to join them but not be a part of their group. She had squatted nearby within conversation distance and seemed more inclined to ‘talk’ to Riley though she answered to Logan’s questions. Hesh was silent and seemed more interested in the fact that Riley was so responsive to her.

He wasn’t wrong when he made the decision to make her a Ghost and the same went for his sons. His sons he knew were capable of the job ahead and he was certain she was too. It was different because he hadn’t had the opportunity to watch her grow up and learn what she learned. It took the war to show him that she was skilled as a tracker and had the ability to sneak up on people. She was innovative and she was patient and resourceful as a leader.

He was well aware of how she had been treated the first five years of the war. He didn’t believe much the reports but she didn’t deny things when he pressed when she reported to him five years ago. Since then she did what was asked and once or twice barely toed the line or more like leaned over it. She got the job done and didn’t finish until it was completed; another quality in a Ghost.

He could understand her apprehension though. She was never one to seek fame and what she had done as an artist was more for awareness. She didn’t care about the money. She didn’t even know what the Ghosts were until she met them… and it was quite memorable. He could see Keegan watching her as she ‘sat’ very still and the only movement was when she spoke to Logan and occasionally Hesh. His nose looked a little swollen and Merrick… the man was scowling.

Sighing Elias knew it was time to get to business and he walked forward. His sons stood up quickly but Sequoia was slower and graceful. It was regal and Elias wondered if she had inherited that from her mother. Merrick was on his feet and asking, “So what are we going to do about Rorke?”

“Rorke?” Sequoia raised her brow since she had no idea who that was.

“That’s the guy that’s hunting the Ghosts,” Hesh supplied. He glanced at his father to confirm, “Right?”

“Yeah. He’s good. Very good,” Elias admitted.

Sequoia narrowed her eyes slightly at that more to think about it. She took in Elias’ expression and thought about it. Her gut was telling her something and she went with it and said, “He was one of you.”

“Yes,” Elias confirmed, “And he know how we operate.”

Sequoia couldn’t help but mutter a word and didn’t care that Elias was a bit amused by it but he also seemed in agreement. She didn’t even care if the Walker boys were confused by what she said. It was the only adequate way to call someone a traitor. She looked at Elias who looked a little sad at her choice of words and asked, “What happened?”

Elias turned to look out the window of their transport to think about how to say it. He knew his boys had learned the art of patience the hard way and Sequoia seemed to be a fount of it but she may have more discipline. Finally he began, “It was twelve years ago, when the Federation’s military threatened all of South America…”

Sequoia felt the stirrings she always felt when her father or one of the elders of the tribe would begin to tell a story. Stories weren’t just for entertainment. They were meant to convey lessons about life and about a person’s place in the world or how to look for it. There was even a story about the Ghost Dancers and she found herself thinking about it while Elias told his story. She knew that the Ghost Dance was originally one calling for peace and harmony but there was a bloodier aspect of it, where her people the Sioux took it to literally cleanse their lands of the white man’s taint. Then there were the stories of the Sioux battles like Custer’s Last Stand. She thought about this as she listened to Elias with the respect given a storyteller.

“Their leader General Almagro demanded all U.S. born citizens be imprisoned or executed. It was Rorke who convinced Washington to let the Ghosts solve the problem. The US sent an invasion force to destroy the Federation. Rorke led us to eliminate Almagro.” Elias continued to look out the window. It seemed to make things easier to explain what was probably the hardest decision of his life.

Hesh and Logan studied their father and figured that there was a lot going on that would probably never get told but they could read between the lines. Hesh stole a glance at Sequoia. Ever since they hooked up on the beach, he didn’t know what to make of her. He was pretty sure she sassed him by deliberately withholding her name, she was good in a fight which she had shown in covering his and Logan’s asses and defending his brother, and she was definitely someone you didn’t want to surprise considering the black eye that was forming on Merrick’s face from her hitting him and she had continued to fight them on the way up.

Then there was the fact that she seemed to know his dad on a more personal level than the superior-subordinate relationship. He noticed it when she walked over and asked for a word. He wasn’t sure what to think about her but he could tell from Logan that his little brother liked her. They did talk like they were friends but she barely gave him the time of day unless he specifically directed a question at her. He didn’t know what to think.

“But Rorke became obsessed with him. He talked of the man as if he were a bounty,” Elias continued his story somewhat aware that his sons and Sequoia were studying each other while listening. “And it was clear that he would stop at nothing to claim that prize.”

From there it was description of the mission to take out the general and how they were able to apprehend him. Sequoia listened as Elias described how their ride crashed and the general was dead. Then there was Rorke, hanging for his life and Elias holding on. She asked along with Hesh, “So what did you do?” She didn’t need to ask it since it was painfully obvious but a small part of her wanted to hear it and she could see that the Walker boys wanted to as well.

Elias turned away from the window to look at the trio. He could read the emotions on his sons’ faces but Sequoia’s was near unreadable. She seemed to be in a place where she understood what he hadn’t even explained yet but she wanted to hear it. It was hard to describe but he was used to it since she had given the same expression when he gave her orders. Looking at his sons he replied, “I made the hardest decision of my life. I let him go and saved the others.”

They were all soldiers and they understood the risks involved. It was just different when you had to hear it. Sequoia remembered being in a similar position as Rorke. The only difference was that she made it an order to leave her behind going as far to threaten to shoot Potts if he didn’t follow them. Maybe it wasn’t the same. She wasn’t sure.

“So what happened to him,” Logan asked after the momentary pause.

Elias looked at his youngest and then eldest and replied, “We searched for his body for weeks. Finally we were pulled and he was declared MIA.”

Sequoia muttered, “Until now. Convenient.”

“Why is he hunting Ghosts?” Hesh had shot Sequoia a look at her comment when he asked the question.

“The Federation got to him first. Whatever they did, if they can turn him, they can turn anyone,” Elias replied.

“No so, sir,” Sequoia replied. She shook her head and adjusted her stance. “It was easy because he had resentment… and because of how he viewed the world. The slightest perceived wrong can be pushed to beyond what it should be.”

“Easy for you to say,” Merrick cut in. “You weren’t there.”

“As easy it is for you to be dead first because you feel too strongly,” Sequoia retorted. She didn’t flinch when Merrick glared at her and it almost seemed like he was going to strike her. It sort of annoyed her when Hesh stepped in to ward off Merrick and Elias put a hand out to calm the man down. She looked at Elias, “All I’m saying it wasn’t all them.” She turned away to take a breath and shift on her feet.

Elias watched her and took consideration of her words. He watched as Logan gave her a tap on the shoulder to indicate that it was okay and she responded with a nod. Hesh on the other hand… Elias knew that when push came to shove, they would work together. He wasn’t going to worry about it unless it became a problem. The problem was going to referee between Sequoia and Merrick and it looked like he was going to have to enlist Keegan’s help in that endeavor.

Hesh warned off Merrick even though the man was older and his superior. He couldn’t explain why he stepped in but he did. He didn’t regret it but it was… he wasn’t sure. So he steered the conversation back on track, “So we find him before he finds us.”

Elias nodded, “Exactly. There’s a man in Caracas who knows where he sleeps. Victor Ramos. He heads up R&D for the Fed. Few men get close enough to call a man like Rorke a friend. Ramos is one.”

Sequoia turned back towards Elias. She recognized a mission when she heard it. It sounded like they were going on a fishing expedition. It had the reputation of being negative in the sense that it was blind searching. She saw it more as a means of getting the information they need to go after the big game. She equated it with recon. She asked, “So to find Rorke, where do we go?”

“To find Rorke, we’re going back to Caracas, where this all started,” Elias replied. This was going to be difficult considering that one of their own was hunting them but he was confident that the three of them could handle it. He was going to send Keegan with them but somehow he got the feeling that it was going to be an interesting ride.

****

“So how do you know Dad?”

It was blunt for Logan but he figured that considering the kind of person that Sequoia was, it was the best thing. She certainly seemed to appreciate it when they were walking along toward their new quarters to rearm and regroup for the mission ahead. He had heard about her from some of the guys in Santa Monica but he was beginning to think that they were telling the bare bones with embellishment.

Sequoia grinned at Logan. She liked the younger Walker and shrewdly guessed that maybe Elias was just like him at that age. She liked the fact that he seemed… not beaten down by things even though it had been ten years since ODIN destroyed his home and he joined the military to fight. He reminded her of a childhood friend who was always happy. She asked, “What makes you think I know him?”

Logan narrowed his eyes but not suspicious at her response. He could tell that she was going to make him work for it. He replied, “You actually were allowed to interrupt him without being called out on it and considering he didn’t let Merrick try to take you on.”

Sequoia gave a slight eye roll while the grin turned into a smile. She knew that they would have been watching and they would have questions. She had been waiting for them and had half expected Hesh to be the one to interrogate her. It was logical in that he was the eldest and she was curious as to what he would do since she barely spoke to him directly and a few of the responses sounded rude now that she thought about it.

Looking at Logan she replied, “I’m not afraid of Merrick but it would look bad.” She continued to walk through the halls of the carrier that was serving as their base. She had never been on a carrier before so ti was a new experience and pictures of battleships were way different from the real thing. Everything was metal, grey and dreary but who had the need for anything remotely pretty? “But you are right, I do know your dad.”

“Figured,” Logan replied. He had found her wandering the halls and just struck up a conversation with her. It was how they got to this point.

Sequoia decided to share a little bit about herself. She figured if they were going to work together, they might as well know something. “You dad knew my father. How, I am not clear how the story goes but one of them saved the other and they became friends.”

“Was he a Ghost too?”

“I… don’t know. Elias never told me and my father didn’t.” Sequoia shrugged her shoulders. It wasn’t important though it did hurt that there was something her father couldn’t share with the daughter he had trained before she struck out on her own path. “Anyway, Elias is my godfather.”

It was a surprise to Logan but it did confirm that there was a closeness between her and his dad that wasn’t just because she was the daughter of a friend of his. “Godfather?”

“What you would call it. I don’t think there is a word for it in Sioux. That’s what I am.”

“Nice.”

Sequoia looked at Logan. He had meant what he said and it… surprised her. Most people heard Sioux or Indian and thought cultural hippy or had those images of the ‘romantic’ old West. “So you’re not scared of me?”

“Only if I get on your bad side,” Logan replied. “I’ve heard the stories.”

Sequoia couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “I’ve heard stories about you and your brother so I guess we’re even.”

Logan chuckled with her. He liked her so far as a person and it was going to be fun to get to know her. Sequoia was starting to like Logan more and more and they could be friends. It gave her the courage to actually tell more about herself, “So the reason I say Elias is sort of my godfather is because he was there at my naming ceremony when I was a baby.” She could see the confusion and explained, “I have my tribal name and my American name. I was receiving my tribal name. So on official records I am called Sequoia White Hawk Williams.”

“Sounds like a mouthful if you were forced to say it all,” Logan pointed out. “Williams… That sounds familiar.”

“Should be. My father is Charles Thundering Bear Williams,” Sequoia offered. “His last rank was colonel.”

“Colonel Williams? I have heard of him. He led some major battles. Dad said he was worthy of being a Ghost.”

“I heard the same,” Sequoia replied. She was amused that Logan was acting like a little kid that just met his hero. “My father taught me basic combat as well as tracking, hunting… the things that warriors do since I was given a warrior’s name.”

“Nothing wrong with it I think,” Logan countered. “Does make it hard what to call you though. Williams sounds… too weird and Sequoia… nice but…”

“Are you a connoisseur of names now?” She teased Logan and watched the sheepish look bloom over his face. She laughed and said, “I see your point. Carol was the only to call me Sequoia and my guys just called me sir.”

“Can I call you Hawk then? Like Dad does?”

Sequoia thought about it. It wouldn’t hurt and considering what she and Elias had talked about… Maybe she did need to live up to the name that she had been given. She smiled and nodded, “Sounds fair. Anyone on the Ghosts can call me Hawk.”

“Nice,” Logan replied with a boyish grin that he learned endeared him to a lot of people. “And you know me as Logan.”

“Nice to meet you.” Sequoia held out her hand.

“Nice to meet you Hawk.”

They continued walking, talking about nothing and then about growing up and training. Sequoia learned that Logan and Hesh joined up as soon as they were able like she did after ODIN destroyed their home. She asked what it was like to visit the place after ten years and Logan gave his thoughts. It had been creepy and yet, as Logan described it, it was closure of a sorts. Like what Sequoia learned early on, everyone had a story that was related to ODIN.

The conversation took a lighter turn when Logan asked why she got the name White Hawk. Sequoia thought about it since she wasn’t sure how he would take the idea that it was because of a dream. Then she remembered the story her father used to tell her. Thinking about it now, she wondered if it was just the circumstances of how she came to be named the way she was told in a story fashion to make it less awkward. But then again she had heard the same story from other people including elders while growing up so… it wasn’t too far a supposition.

Logan listened to the story and thought it was an interesting story. He sensed that it was more personal and decided not to pry. At that moment he and Sequoia met up with Hesh who had been looking for them. They were to be briefed before shipping out to Caracas. “Hesh, did you know that Dad is Hawk’s godfather?”

Hesh said nothing at first. He merely stared at Sequoia while his brother tried to make a conversation. He had spotted them as he was going through the halls and noticed they seemed to be getting along with each other. He found it to be an enigma especially considering that she and Elias knew each other and then to find out that she was Elias’ goddaughter… “No.”

“It’s not a well-known thing and I prefer it stay that way,” Sequoia said more as a rebuke towards Hesh. Towards Logan it was softer as she explained, “It makes me feel… “ She shrugged her shoulders.

“Then you’ve joined the wrong outfit if you were looking for special treatment,” Hesh said, misunderstanding what she had meant.

“I highly doubt that,” Sequoia replied as she looked at Hesh. She had straightened her body out and stood tall indicating that she wasn’t going to be pushed around.

Logan noticed his brother doing his being tough act he usually gave when it was someone he wanted to put in his place. He technically could since he outranked Sequoia but he got the feeling that because she was a Ghost now, that was a loosely defined boundary now. He watched her straighten ever so slightly and he felt the urge to salute her and they were the same rank.

Hesh knew a challenge when he saw one and he was right in that the sergeant in front of him was the kind to be defiant. He had seen it in the way she spoke to Merrick and Elias seemed to accept that. Then again she addressed him as sir every time. He stared at her and said, “Then what are you here for?”

“Same as you. To fight and catch that bastard Rorke,” she replied in a calm voice. “Or are you enamored with a tall tale that just happens to be true?”

Logan resisted the urge to hiss. She was hitting hard. He tried to warn her, “Hawk.”

“What are you saying?” Hesh took a step closer until they were practically toe to toe. For a brief moment he was struck by how pretty her eyes were. They were a rich earthy brown with a defiant snap to them. It was a momentary surprise but he maintained his posture.

Sequoia was well aware of the close proximity of Hesh Walker and it felt threatening in the sense that it triggered feelings she was very unfamiliar with and her reaction was to treat it like a threat. She stood her ground but was well aware that it felt almost like when she was in a standoff with Charlie Three, the leader of Charlie Squad during an op sweep of the Wall. It felt like it but it was different. She replied, “Just that you’re a little boy who got starry eyed at an idol.”

The comment bristled with Hesh and Logan could see his brother was trying not to lose his temper. He said, “Well it is exciting, Hawk. Hell we never knew Dad was one and we thought it was just a bunch of stories he used to tell us. Right Hesh?”

Hesh heard his brother and recognized it as an attempt to cool a situation that more likely would have been resolved with cooler heads. Normally he would have cooled down but he had to look Sequoia in the eye. That defiant twinkle looked like it was mocking him even though her expression was calm. Then she had to speak and her voice was smooth like running water, “Seems that you put a lot into stories.”

“And what about you?” Hesh was well aware that it sounded like a childish retort but he had to say something. “Considering you grew up on them yourself like a bear teaching your people how to hunt.”

Sequoia was actually amused by Hesh’s choice of words. She was also still feeling that unfamiliar feeling that she wasn’t sure what to do about. “I don’t know about that. I was merely telling Logan how I got my name. At least it has meaning. What the hell kind of a name is Hesh anyway?”

Logan was certain that Sequoia was goading his brother on purpose but Hesh wasn’t helping his cause either since he had sneered at her. All he could do was jump in the middle in order for them not to hit each other. He was certain they wouldn’t try to hit him in their pursuit of trying to kill each other or from the looks of it… He was not going to go there just yet.

Hesh merely glared at Sequoia and asked, “And what the hell kind of name is Hawk? Sounds clichéd. At least Hesh is original.”

“Nice speech I bet you tell yourself that to make you feel important,” Sequoia shot back automatically. “Hawk or rather White Hawk is my tribal name and you would do well to not be an asshole about it.”

The bump to the shoulder was hard and Hesh felt it as Sequoia brushed past him to head in the direction for briefing. He watched her leave and heard Logan hiss, “Bad move there bro.”

“She got on my bad side,” Hesh countered as he turned in the direction she was heading.

“No, I think you got on her bad side and you dug a trench,” Logan corrected. “You just had to say it.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Yeah that was what started it.”

“Shut up.”


	4. Chapter 4

“You know this is a mission, not a damn costume party.”

Sequoia looked at Merrick as she finished putting the last of her paint on. She moved her head like an inquisitive puppy would and replied, “I know.” Her response was calm and in normal cases it was to diffuse a situation. Here it seemed to make Merrick more annoyed with her. “This is a war face,” she added as she pointed to her face.

Hesh had been listening to the entire conversation and watched her work. She hadn’t said a word to him beyond what was necessary but she was animated with Logan; a good show to the point that he was on her bad side. It had been that way the entire time it took to get down to Caracas and plan the assault. The tension was felt and thick enough to be cut with a knife. He took a look at the work she did on her face and was surprised to find that he didn’t have a problem with it.

The top half of her face was painted black like a mask including her forehead. Above her brows were thin strips of white like feathers and on her cheek twin dark red lines on each one like the Fed’s blood that hit her on the face when they first met. The whole picture made her look intimidating and scary and was better than any Ghost mask. Her dark hair had been swept back into a single braid that was coiled into a knot on the back of her head. It was a badass look.

Logan was watching the whole thing as well and he caught his brother looking and nudged him, “Say something, bro.”

“Why me?”

“You want to stay on her bad side? I know you’re pissed about it.”

Pissed wasn’t exactly the word Hesh would use to describe the conditions of the past few days. Functional may be the correct word since they did work together but it was hardly pleasant at least between him and her. With Logan she was nicer and even gave him tips. Merrick groused and grumbled and she was polite. Keegan, it was a quiet acceptance and of course Elias conversed with her like he did him and Logan. It was just different with them.

It wasn’t like she made it easy to get on her good side in the first place. It was like she was determined to keep him down no matter what he did. It was like she found fault with everything and while it wasn’t hatred, it was more… he had no idea. He went with the best thing and was polite with her but didn’t expect anything beyond politeness in return. Maybe the right word was clinical. Either way he was stubborn enough to take it but… he really didn’t like it.

“Hesh,” Logan said and motioned towards where Merrick and Sequoia were having a standoff.

Hesh sighed, “Like it’s gonna do anything.”

“You’d be surprised.”

Hesh shot his little brother a look akin to the idea that it would be a cold day in hell before that would happen. Then again he probably was in hell. He made a noise and walked over before a potential fistfight started and he was willing to bet that Sequoia would win. She certainly looked fierce enough. He cleared his throat and said, “It’s not that bad.”

If looks could kill, Merrick’s would. Hesh stood his ground and reaffirmed his opinion, “It’s not bad. It looks like a… ghost.”

Logan heard what Hesh said and almost wanted to laugh out loud. His brother looked uncomfortable saying it and he had one person glaring at him and the other was looking at him like he had gone off the deep end. He looked down but managed to catch a glimpse at Keegan who was also trying hard not to laugh.

“That was the effect I was going for,” Sequoia’s soft tones broke the silence. “Inspiration by the Ghost Dancers of the Sioux and we are warriors too.” She slowly gave an almost sly smile in the direction of Merrick. “You would look good in this though I think the bottom half in red better reflects your temper.”

“Fine.” Merrick walked away muttering about her being a pain in the ass.

“Do you like pressing people’s buttons?”

Sequoia had been watching Merrick storm off when she heard Hesh’s question. She turned to see his face covered in camo paint and it made his green eyes stand out more. They were actually a nice color and he wasn’t bad per se. She had observed him with Riley when he wasn’t looking and when he spoke to his brother. It was just… “Only because I know it pisses him off and I hardly made a good impression when I gave him a black eye. Why?”

“You can be nice. You are nice when you are.”

It was lame and awkward and Hesh knew it. He could hear Logan laughing at him in silent laughter. It was a surprise though when she replied, “You are too.”

“Thanks?”

“You’re welcome.”

It was rather abrupt when she pivoted on her heel and went back to checking her gear. Hesh stared for a moment trying to figure out what had just happened. He looked over at Logan who merely shrugged his shoulders and went back to what he was doing. Hesh didn’t bother looking at anyone else. He shuffled on his feet and said, “I bet you’ll scare them good… Hawk.”

Sequoia paused just a moment when she heard her name. It sounded nice coming from him when it was devoid of any contempt. Actually he had always been polite after their initial conversation but it just sounded different this time and she liked it. Her lip twitched in a slight smile and she continued finishing her prep. She had her gear on and was ready to go except for one last thing.

It was one weapon that sort of increased the rumors of how scary she was to people. It certainly lent credence to romanticized versions of the Old West. It wasn’t a traditional weapon but she had learned how to use it from her father and had this one made specifically for her. She ran her fingers along the grain of the wood of the handle up to the bladed part. Her thumb traced the sharpened edge with practice long honed since she first held one.

“That’s not standard issue.”

Sequoia turned to see Keegan standing close. She figured he was checking to make sure that she was ready to go since she was causing a slight delay. She held it up and moved it like she was playing with it. “This? Not really but it comes in handy.”

Keegan studied her. He had been since he set her feet on the chopper. He didn’t even mind that she had bopped him a good one on the nose. He liked the fact that she hadn’t taken their rescue at face value. He thought she had good instincts about her just for doing that and the fact that she didn’t flinch at Merrick’s temper… She would do all right as a Ghost. He pointed at her weapon, “Do you know how to use it?”

Sequoia looked at Keegan and saw the dare in his eyes. She twitched her lips into a grin. “Care for a demonstration?”

Keegan gestured that she was to have a go. He pointed at her target. “Be my guest.”

“This isn’t kid’s play,” she countered as she moved to get into position. “I’m already in trouble with Merrick.”

“He just doesn’t like it that you got the drop on him,” Keegan replied with a slight shake of his head. “It’s been a long time since anyone has been able to do that. And especially from someone who doesn’t hold the Ghosts in awe.”

“I didn’t know you guys,” Sequoia replied as she stood in a loose but firm stance. She was ready to throw but she wasn’t going to if she didn’t have the green light here. Out in the field it was anything goes. “Ask the Walker boys about how I was ready to shoot them when we came face to face.”

“Would you shoot a member of your own side?”

Sequoia felt her lip twitch involuntarily. She held her weapon by the head between her first and middle fingers. Her throat convulsed as she looked at nothing in particular. In a low voice that matched the appearance of her face, “If they were not who they said they were, then I would. I did it before.”

Keegan looked at her. “You did?”

“Ask the captain,” Sequoia replied. She flipped her weapon in her hand and put it on its slot on her belt. “He was the one that sent me on the mission that I discovered it.” She looked at the door and the clock. “We should get moving.”

Keegan watched as she started heading towards the door. It made him all the more curious about her. He was also wary about what she had said. Considering that, he could surmise that she would kill Rorke because he was hunting Ghosts, betraying them to the Federation. But he also got that she was a person and one who wasn’t a coldhearted killer.

Turning he motioned for Hesh and Logan to come along as he followed Sequoia to their ride into Caracas. He watched as the younger Walker immediately approached her followed by his brother. He was going to join them when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned to see that it was Elias and he turned to wait for last minute instructions.

Elias looked at Keegan and said, “It’s true. I sent Echo Team on a mission and they uncovered a traitor.”

“So she killed him?”

“Yes and it was after nearly losing the recon team because of the traitor.”

Keegan realized what Elias was saying. “So she was the one that…”

“She did what she had to do, Keegan. You can trust that she will watch your back to the end.”

****

The fireworks exploded over the night sky filling it with bright colors of red, yellow, green… it was a celebration after all. The city of Caracas was lit up below and the buildings had their lights on for the evening. It was like how the cities in No Man’s Land looked like at night before ODIN destroyed them. Down below people were celebrating because it was Federation Day. Yes there was a lot to celebrate.

Sequoia was kneeling from her position on the roof and scanning the landscape in front of her. She was mostly staring at the building across from them; it was the target building where they were going to catch Victor Ramos, the man who knew where to find Rorke. She had been that way for the past thirty minutes and waiting. That was the patience tester.

Hesh had been keeping watch from his post but also been watching Sequoia. Once she had taken position, she hadn’t moved. She looked like a still statue staring into the night. Even Keegan had moved a little but she hadn’t. She was just kneeling with perfect balance with one arm resting on her knee and the other was dangling that it almost touched the ground she was kneeling on. Every single muscle was taut and still. He couldn’t help but admire it and…

A slight elbow from Logan had Hesh looking at his brother. He glared at Logan and his brother smirked as he turned to look at the building they were going to hit once they confirmed Ramos was there. Hesh scowled and turned back to his lookout but he couldn’t help but look at Sequoia. She still hadn’t moved and it looked like she could sit there for hours.

“He’s right on time,” Keegan said as he looked overhead at the aircraft inbound to their target building. He jumped down from his position to get a better look. “Time to earn the mask,” he said as he pulled his on over his face. He turned to look overhead and follow the inbound helicopters towards the building.

“Maybe some don’t need one,” Hesh murmured as he got himself ready as he glanced in her direction.

“Chopper’s landing, confirm visual ID,” Keegan said as he nudged Logan. Scarecrow, this is Six-Two. Prepare to receive optical feed.

Logan put on his optic scanner and zoomed in to look and ID their target. They had to make sure he was there or this trip was going to be a bust. He focused on a door into the building to make sure his settings were good.

_Copy Actual. Receiving transmission. Cleaning up the signal. Wait until he is facing you._

“Our target’s on the roof dead ahead. We need to ID him,” Keegan said.

Sequoia was looking straight ahead and she narrowed her eyes. Her focus was on the chopper that had landed and spotting their man. She said, “Focus on the chopper Logan.” She was looking in that direction and then said, “Grey suit, glasses. Focus on him.”

Hesh looked at her and she was still on her position looking at the rooftop. How the hell did she know that? Could she even see from that distance? He didn’t think so and figured that it was all for show.

_Target confirmed. Mission is a go._

“I guess you do have the eyes of a hawk, Hawk,” Logan said as he lowered his optic scanner and put it away. He looked over at Sequoia who was looking at him and they shared a grin. He then looked at his brother who was looking like he did earlier before they shipped out.

Sequoia grinned at Logan and finally she moved from her position and leapt down to down the group. She replied, “I guess my name is good for something.” She gave a friendly pat before turning to notice Hesh staring at her. “It’s just being able to observe.”

Keegan wanted to laugh but didn’t. He shook his head though to indicate he had noticed. He found it a little creepy that she was able to be still for so long. He almost mistook her for a statue at one point. It had him wonder exactly what she did on her missions with her old team. He replied, “Hard copy, Scarecrow. Six-Two out.” Toward the group he said, “Set up your launchers and check your chutes for exfil.”

Sequoia went to the launcher she had set up and cracked the case. To her left was Hesh setting up his line and to her right was Logan. It made for an interesting thought that was gone the moment it caught fire. She brushed it off as she made sure her chute was good along with the emergency chute. The plan seemed a little more exciting than what she had been on but she was willing to tough it out.

“Your strap,” Hesh’s voice came in on her left.

Sequoia turned and caught Hesh adjusting one of her straps that had twisted. She hadn’t noticed it and probably wouldn’t have. Maybe she would have felt the chaffing later but it still wasn’t a big deal. Still she let him fix it and said, “Wouldn’t have been a bother.”

“Maybe not now but later,” Hesh replied as he finished. He looked at her full on not really expecting anything from her.

“Thanks, Hesh,” she replied and she turned back to make sure the launcher was set.

“You’re welcome, Hawk,” Hesh replied to her back and went to set up his own launcher. She wasn’t ignoring him or being rude but just accepting it. It was different from her ‘bad side’ as Logan put it but he couldn’t help but feel that she was treating him differently from the others. The obvious was his brother.

“Fire your lines, kids,” Keegan was saying to get them going.

It was funny to think how noisy the equipment could be when they fired their lines. The upside was that no one was going to be looking up and if they did, no one would notice. The other upside was the fact that the fireworks in the sky plus the noise below would cover up any noise the equipment made. It was just a funny thought as Sequoia hooked up to her line, took a breath and ran to the edge of the building and leapt off to rappel down.

It was quite a thrill to feel the wind in her face as she continued her course towards the target building. She could feel the shorter locks of her dark hair tickling her ears as she moved forward. She glanced over to see Hesh looking like he was trying to gain momentum and Logan looked like a kid going surfing at Santa Monica. Keegan was the only one that looked like this was routine for him. For her it would never get old.

“Three. Two. One. Detach,” Keegan gave the go.

Sequoia reached for her rig and followed through. This was even better than running and jumping off a building. It certainly was a fantasy of something like Tarzan swinging through the trees as her weight and momentum carried her forward. She crouched her body into a ball and readied her feet. The thump against the wall as the balls of her feet touched had her want to giggle like a girl as she let the balls of her feet absorb the impact and she bounced a little.

There was a slight crunch and she looked to see Logan bouncing to get to the wall. She could make out a crack in the glass. When he looked up he had a sheepish grin on his face. It caused her to give a grin in return and a slight shake of her head. She adjusted her feet and still was on the balls of her feet and ready to move on Keegan’s orders. Time to get down to business. She flipped her rifle to a ready position.

_Line secure. Let’s move down._

Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Sequoia rappelled down to the next floor and got to appreciatively watch as Logan took out tangos in the rooms in his range. She adjusted and didn’t make a sound as she looked on the level they were at.

 _Targets down. We’re clear._ _Move to the next floor._

Sequoia moved down almost on tip toe. It was not the conventional way of rappelling down but she found that it was quiet to her and she could move like she would on the ground. She peered through the glass and said, “More enemies below.”

_Hold your fire._

Sequoia looked up to see that Hesh was not too far from her and he was peering to get a good look. She had a couple in her sights and she readied her rifle and waited for the green light. She heard Keegan say that he had three at the poker table. She angled her body and was able to see them clearly. Interesting angle but she could make the shot.

_Left side. One in the kitchen. One on the way._

She looked at Hesh’s direction. Well that made the odds interesting. She looked up to find that Hesh was staring at her again. She didn’t know why except the possibility that he was trying to throw her off her game. Fat chance of that happening.

_Shift left. Hesh, Hawk, hit the kitchen first. Wait until he’s in the kitchen then take them both out._

Sequoia felt her lip twitch as she brought up her rifle and followed Hesh as they shifted. She got into position and asked, “Do you want to catch him with his pants down?” She meant if he wanted the one that was looking for chow.

Hesh felt his lip twitch in a near smile. “Only if you take out the latecomer.”

“Roger that,” she replied as she readied her gun. She spotted her target walking into the kitchen.

“On you,” Hesh said.

Sequoia wrapped her finger around the trigger. She aimed right for the head and steadied her breathing until it was like she wasn’t breathing at all. She squeezed and felt the gun kick. All that was in front was a hole in the glass and the hostile was down. She glanced over to see Hesh’s bogey down. “Nice,” she commented.

_Got movement in the center._

Sequoia shifted and followed Logan and Keegan back over. Movement with the poker players. She studied their body language and it looked like someone wasn’t playing fair. She had her sights on the far right.

_Alright you three, smoke these guys._

“I got far right,” Sequoia let Logan and Hesh know as she shifted on the balls of her feet to steady herself. She took the initiative and fired first and it was followed by Hesh and Logan and their shots. They never saw it coming.

“Clear,” Hesh called.

_Keep it moving._

Sequoia was tempted to reply with a salute. She didn’t though and proceeded to move with the others down to the control center floor. The lights were on but the funny thing is that they wouldn’t be noticed. No one would have expected them to rappel down the side of a building to infiltrate. That was one of the perks in special ops.

_Control center is on this floor._

That was the cue to ready to enter. Grabbing the torch from her belt she cut the glass creating a yellow circle big enough to fly through. It was quick and fast and she was flying into the building, the glass landing in huge chunks on the ground. She had her line detached and rifle up and ready covering Hesh while Logan covered Keegan.

_Power system in the back. Let’s go._

It was a silent jaunt as Logan followed Keegan and Sequoia followed Hesh. Hesh didn’t have much to complain about since she was covering his six. It just unnerved him that she could move that quietly even with all her equipment on. He did hear her say, “Relax. If you were an enemy, you’d be dead before now.”

“So this is a step up.”

“No. Distinction.”

Hesh shook his head as he went to do what he had to do. This was going to be a long mission and Logan hadn’t even killed the lights yet. He could almost hear Logan laughing at him and was tempted to just tell him to shut up.


	5. Chapter 5

Sequoia wrinkled her nose as she yanked her knife out of the downed tango as well as Logan’s and handed it off to him. She looked at hers and shook the blood off and put it back on her belt. She flipped her rifle into position making it seem like a flamboyant trick but it was more a means of putting the rifle into position just in case it was needed for something other than shooting. She looked around even though they were on the balcony and rallied on Keegan and Hesh.

_Remember we gotta shut down the elevators, seal off his chance to bolt._

Hesh glanced at Hawk and then Logan before saying, “Hawk and me will take the main bank in the west wing.”

Keegan nodded, “We’ll rendezvous in the junction to cut the secondaries. On me.”

Sequoia gave a glance at Logan and a nod of reassurance and watched him and Keegan take off. Taking a breath, she held her rifle up and followed Hesh. Maybe she shouldn’t have teased him about if he were an enemy. Now he was probably paranoid. Oh well, she would do her job and cover his six. She turned to check the flank as they advanced before turning around.

Hesh thought he might have been nuts for saying that he would take her on his side. It was an impulse that he decided to take Sequoia with him. He could have easily taken his brother and they already could work together as a team; they could even communicate silently and no one knew what they were going to do. She was a wild card and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it but it did feel right that she was there.

“Tango, twelve o’clock.’

Hesh looked ahead and saw what she was seeing. “I got em.” He aimed and fired the suppressed round.

“Nicely done.” Sequoia didn’t spare a glanced as she moved forward to take point. She passed him slinking by a little more closely than she would have done and her uniform brushed his. She did it on purpose and didn’t care since she already was on a role teasing him about her being sneaky. She was curious to see what he would do. She did notice that when she brushed by him, there was a jolt of electricity that hit. It wasn’t the bad kind that sometimes occurred when her gut said that the person in front of her was a target. It was different and sent a strange charge through her system.

Hesh felt the brush and it felt like a bolt of electricity that tingled down his spine. It took a lot of willpower to not react to that. He just let her pass and covered the rear as they moved forward. He continued to feel the tingle and almost tripped over her if he hadn’t seen her kneeling and peering in the darkness. “What is it?”

Sequoia had stopped when she sensed it. It was automatic to drop to a crouching position and take survey of the situation. She stared straight ahead and then glanced all around. It was quiet and it looked like there was no one there but that was what worried her. She felt Hesh’s boot hit hers and held her hand up to stop him. When he spoke she turned and gestured that he was to stay put before she took off into the darkness.

Hesh had no problem taking orders. It was just irksome to have someone who had a sort of disregard for rank tell him what to do. Yet he found himself obeying her signal to stay put and took a defensive position where he was. He held his rifle ready for any sign of enemies. He only moved to rotate in his spot. Then he heard footsteps followed by something in Spanish. He held up his rifle and saw the lone enemy heading his way. He wasn’t going to wait for Sequoia to finish whatever the hell she was doing. He took aim and fired.

What Hesh didn’t see was that by firing it put him in sights for a sniper. He didn’t know until the round hit the ground near his foot. He wheeled around to find his attacker in a stranglehold and Sequoia drawing her knife across the throat. It took him a moment to realize that she had saved his ass but he didn’t appreciate the fact that she didn’t say what was going on. He had a scowl on his face by the time she made her way back and said, “You could’ve just said something.”

“I could but then they would have known and repositioned or worse fired on us.” Sequoia looked at him in the eye as if to figure out what he was so upset about. Finally she said, “And you wouldn’t have seen him until it was too late.”

Hesh couldn’t say anything about that since he had come to the same conclusion. “Fine, we still have to shut down the mains.”

“Lead the way.”

They made their way towards the main elevators. Sequoia covered Hesh while he made sure that the mains were offline. They didn’t have too much trouble and it produced that awkward feeling. Sequoia wasn’t sure but she got the sense that this mission was going too good to plan. Maybe it was paranoia honed from the years in the field and running ops or just because but she got the feeling that something was going to happen and that each moment towards Ramos was going to make that happen. She didn’t voice it to Hesh since there was no sense in worrying him and they were both well aware that this mission could go to shits fast.

“Done,” Hesh’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

_Hesh, check in._

Hesh looked at Sequoia who turned to keep an eye out while he replied to Keegan, “Main elevators offline, secondaries still active.”

_Copy. See you in five._

“Come on. Control room,” Hesh beckoned.

Sequoia nodded as she made to follow Hesh. They silently made their way through their end until Sequoia moved forward to switch. She only blinked as she took point to clear the path. It wasn’t that she didn’t think he could do it. It was more along the lines of automatic habit when in the company of someone ranked higher. She had always been told to take point and it carried out to her command in that sometimes she took over. Plus it was how she had been able to protect Carol.

There was a pair of enemies up ahead. She signaled it silently to Hesh who said, “Take out the one on the left. I got the right.”

It was almost perfectly synchronized as they aimed down and shot. It was a beauty of a shot to admire but they had to get moving. Roving through the dark halls, Sequoia fell back to let Hesh take the lead since he was more familiar with where to go.

_Hesh, we’re entering from the northeast corner._

“Roger that. We’re almost to the control room.”

Crossing the balcony, they could see the exploding fireworks in the sky. Had it been a normal night, it would have been nice to watch. The colored lights lit up the sky in a beautiful spray of sparks. Sequoia found herself frowning at the thought of how nice it was walking there with Hesh and shook her head. The view was making her think crazy thoughts. She moved to cover while Hesh went to work on the keypad to open the doors.

It was like getting a treat when she spotted Keegan and Logan coming from their end. The distance was great but she had been able to see the pair in the darkness much like when she initially identified Ramos. She grinned and nodded at Logan when he came over just as Hesh managed to get the doors opened and walked in like he belonged there. “Okay. Hawk, kill the power to the elevators.”

She walked up to the controls for the elevators and looked up on the monitors. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she said, “Looks like we’ve got company.”

“Got no choice. Do it,” Hesh replied.

Sequoia popped open the panel and pulled out a pair of pliers. She glanced at the monitors with a practiced eye and gave a quick glance at Hesh and Logan. She then turned and cut the wiring to shut everything down. “Here we go.”

“Here they come. Time to upgrade,” Hesh said as he tapped her shoulder to indicate she was to move.

_They’ve found us! Get back here!_

“And I thought they were the welcome wagon,” Sequoia muttered as she made sure her rifle was in good order. She jogged behind Hesh in a light fashion on the balls of her feet. It was a strange way to run but she discovered that it was better to look strange and be able to move faster than to be a sitting duck when you ran what other people called normal.

It was starling when Hesh pulled on the back of her vest and pulled them against the wall. It was when he did that a couple of round hit where she would have been if she kept moving. She said nothing when Hesh released her and said, “We’re even.”

“You’ve got a long way to go before that applies,” she said as she leveled her rifle and prepared to follow. Enemies were on their floor and with the odd and new designer look of the floor, they could be hidden above or below and they wouldn’t even know until they were fired upon. There was some adequate cover but they were going to need to push if they were to get Ramos.

“We’re losing time. We need to move!”

Finding cover behind some crates that probably held weapons or ammo, Sequoia looked for locations of the targets. They had the advantage with blind locations they could hide in. She glanced over to find that Logan was by the wall and taking cover. He would be fine there and he could look for targets at the odd angles. She could see in front and on the balcony in front. It would have to do and she looked for the targets to fire.

“Targets down,” Keegan called when the last of them went down and headed for the ropes.

The group rallied and Hesh beckoned towards his brother, “Give me your extra charges. I’ll cover our exit.”

Logan handed over his charges and walked over to where their lines were set up. Hesh went over to set the charge and looked up to see that Sequoia hadn’t moved. “You better hook up now.”

“Only when I’m sure, sir.” Sequoia looked around the area. They didn’t have much time and it certainly was cut short when she heard Spanish words being uttered rapidly.

_Hook up now Hawk!_

Sequoia had gone to the railing and hooked up but she raised her rifle to cover fire. “You better make it quick Hesh.”

“Just go, Hawk,” Hesh shouted almost angrily as he finished what he was doing.

Sequoia fired at the enemy that started to come through the door. She managed to hook up the end to Hesh’s rope and had it ready to hand off. She said nothing but continued to cover him and when he was finished handed off his rope to hook on. She was firing when Hesh yanked on her from behind and they were over the railing just as the explosions went off.

It was awkward but Hesh held onto Sequoia’s vest even though she was hooked up until they stopped from their drop. He looked at her and asked, “Do you always have to disobey orders?”

“Do you always ask pointless questions?” She gave a look back before she noticed something, “Above us.”

Both she and Hesh raised their rifles and fired at the enemy shooting down at them. They cleared from above but it looked like they had more company on the floor below as Keegan pointed out. They rappelled down and fired at the enemy they spotted through the glass. They were joined by Logan and the three of them cleared the floor that was shooting at them and continued to move on down to the next.

“We need to get inside,” Hesh said.

There was no torch or pre-cut hole to bust through on the next level. Hesh and Logan used their weight to crash through the glass and landed on the floor of an area that looked like one of those indoor garden or atrium places. There were planters with real life trees in there along with pathways. It was like an indoor park so there were plenty of places to take cover. Unfortunately they were fired upon the moment they crashed in.

_We have to get to the HVT!_

Hesh looked around and asked, “Where’s Hawk?”

Logan looked around. All he saw was Keegan as he moved to take cover and he was with his brother. There was no sign of their fourth. “No idea.”

“Shit,” Hesh murmured. It was bad enough that they had to catch their HVT before he could bolt in the middle of a firefight. They also had a missing team member who had been with them on the ropes not too long ago. “Just keep going Logan.”

That was all they could do. Hesh and Logan pushed them back. One enemy almost got Logan until a shot rang out. They were joined by Sequoia who said more to Logan, “Sorry. Traffic.”

Hesh made a rude sound before saying, “Come on.”

They pushed forward until they got stuck near chairs. Keegan was urging them to keep moving but it seemed like the enemy got smart and decided to concentrate fire. One launched a grenade from a launcher and it hit pretty much right in front of Hesh’s face and he fell back. He had been hit in the face though with the debris and Logan was on the other side to try and thin the numbers.

_Keep moving. We can’t let Ramos get away._

Sequoia looked around her corner and quickly scanned the area. She looked around and rolled her eyes. This was really going to push her luck but what choice did they have? They needed Ramos and right now the path was blocked. So the logical thing to do was to clear it and judging by the way they were moving… It could work. She lowered her rifle so it would hang and her right went to her belt and she adjusted her crouch on the balls of her feet. She called through the comm, “Logan, you feel like helping me out with something?”

“You got something planned?” Logan looked over to see his brother rubbing his face and firing his weapon. He saw Sequoia balancing on the balls of her feet like she was preparing to… “What are you going to do?”

“Concentrate your fire on the balconies. I’ll cover the ground.”

“With what?”

Sequoia didn’t answer since she pivoted on her feet to move past Hesh to the other side of the planter and out of Logan’s sight. Hesh had managed to clear the sting from his face but it was a good hit and he felt blood dripping down. He saw Sequoia turn to go behind him and wondered what the hell she was up to and looked at Logan who looked just as confused until he started firing at the targets on the balconies. He lifted his rifle and started hitting what was in front of him.

_Push through once you take out the threat on the balconies._

Hesh and Logan did that and when they started moving forward, they discovered bodies from the ground level littering the floor with their blood. They continued forward until Logan was hit in the shoulder going down stairs. He ended up slipping and sliding down to the ground where he was vulnerable.

Hesh moved in to cover to allow Logan time to get up and he ended up taking a hit to the shoulder. He kept firing though and tried to lug Logan up to his feet who was still firing himself. It looked like they were going to get mowed down when a shape startled them as it swooped down on the enemy targets. Hesh blinked at the blur.

Sequoia had taken advantage of the fact that she had been largely ignored by the enemy. Why she wasn’t sure but she was going to use it. She managed to clear the path for Hesh, Logan and Keegan to move up while she pushed forward using the planters and shadows to her advantage. She had doubled back when Logan had gotten hit and then Hesh while trying to help his brother. She had the element of surprise and took it.

With a leap she startled the enemy and swung her weapon drawing blood. It was not standard issue the tomahawk but she had kept it with her ever since she had been given it by her father. Even when she did her artist thing she always had it and practiced with it. Joining the military, it ended up defining her and added to that scary image most of the men conjured up and in this case it seemed to fit. She did look scary swinging it around in a well-practiced manner, twirling it to give it momentum in her strikes and not afraid to hit major arteries.

The first one got a nasty slice to arm and she ended up giving him a hole in the chest. The other behind him got a strike into the shoulder and she pulled out her Desert Eagle and fired a couple of shots into the chest. She then whirled to fire at another that had been hidden while holding up her tomahawk and was prepared to use it. The floor was clear and they had a clear path to Ramos.

Looking at Hesh and Logan she asked, “You okay?”

“Never better,” Logan said as he got to his feet.

“Come on. We can’t let Ramos get away,” Keegan said as they started moving.

Sequoia held her tomahawk out ready to use it and covered with her pistol as she followed Hesh to their position. She heard, “Any other surprises?”

“Yeah I’m good with a knife,” she added.

_In position._

“Likewise,” Hesh replied as he took his place by the door. He looked to see Sequoia ready to go. He wasn’t going to argue since he knew she knew how to use that thing and she could easily use it on him.

_Alright let’s do this._

That was the signal and Hesh opened his door to find himself face to face with a rather terrified Ramos. He grabbed him and was followed by Sequoia who looked very intimidating in her position. He got a quick glance and saw how intimidating her… war paint looked on her face.

_Hesh?_

“I got him,” and Hesh slammed Ramos through the door effectively boxing him in the office that Ramos used. Hesh grabbed the flailing body on the floor and slung him into the chair next to the large desk and pulled out his pistol.

“He knew you would come,” Ramos said as he held his arms up to surrender.

“Where’s Rorke? Where is he?’ Keegan looked at the man as he demanded his information.

“I don’t know. No one knows,” Ramos said.

Sequoia wasn’t convinced by that answer. As soon as Hesh grabbed Ramos and flung him on the desk she moved in. There was still blood dripping from her tomahawk and it looked grisly as she pulled out the man’s free arm. She twirled the tomahawk in her hand. She looked at her teammates before driving down the tomahawk with a hard thud.

The screaming Ramos did would have made people think he was being gutted. Sequoia looked at the man with a bland expression as she leaned forward. She said, “That was for starters.” She then yanked out the tomahawk from where she had buried it deep in the wood between his fingers. “I could drive it a little closer to home,” she added as she held it close so Ramos could see the blood still on it.

Ramos said, “He’s not here.”

Sequoia gave an expression that said ‘oh well’ towards Keegan. “Pity,” she said as she brought up her tomahawk to strike again.

“Wait! His location is in there. In an encrypted file,” Ramos screeched as he pointed at the computer on the desk. “Just keep her away from me!”

Sequoia made a face like she wasn’t appreciated and stepped away. She ended up giving the guy another scare by throwing the tomahawk into the desk but well away from Ramos’ hand. He screamed anyway and her lip twitched as she watched Keegan head towards the computer.

“Well, well, well if it ain’t the walking dead.” The screen behind Ramos came to life with the image of Rorke on it.

“Rorke,” Keegan said without a hint of malice. To Sequoia, she thought she detected sadness. The man was one of theirs before the Fed got him.

“I knew you’d follow the bread crumbs.”

“You tried to kill my father you piece of shit!”

The outburst from Hesh was a bit unexpected from Sequoia’s view. He looked angry and she realized that he had a temper when it came to the people that mattered the most to him. Still it would do no good to lose their heads over this. She was too far away to give him a kick in the chin so she hissed at Hesh in a gruff voice, “Don’t.”

“The sons of Elias Walker. Boys sent to do man’s work,” Rorke taunted. He studied them before turning his gaze to the desk and he saw the tomahawk. “And that looks very familiar. Only one person I know…” It was then he caught sight of Sequoia. She was standing at an angle so he couldn’t see her hair and her body was covered in gear. “Is that Charlie? No… too short. I wonder who you are.”

Keegan tried to divert the conversation and asked, “Where are you Rorke?

“Where I am doesn’t matter. What matters is a decade ago you left me to die in this city. And from this night forward Elias lives with the knowledge he sent his own sons to their death.”

The bad feeling that Sequoia had as they approached reared its head as the screen went blank and the ground started to shake. It didn’t help that she felt creeped out by Rorke’s observation of her and while he had never seen her before… It didn’t sit well as she looked around.

“It’s a set up! We gotta get out of here!” Keegan shouted at the three of them to get moving.

Hesh realized that Sequoia hadn’t moved and he took her by the arm and said, “Hawk!”

That snapped Sequoia out of her thoughts and she grabbed her tomahawk and the module with the encrypted file. She put her weapon back on her belt and clutched the module towards her as she followed Hesh and the others out of the office while the building started to collapse form the explosion Rorke had rigged. They had managed to make it out of the building by going with the momentum of the fall and crashed through the windows. It was gentle relief when the chutes deployed and they were suspended from the air.

_Scarecrow we’re airborne! En route to rally point echo. Good work you three. Now let’s get the hell out of here._


	6. Chapter 6

_I wonder who you are…_

Sequoia looked up in the mirror as she finished washing the paint off her face. She stared at her face and studied her features. She wasn’t a classic beauty in the sense she wasn’t like those beauties in the magazines. Her face was more angular and reflected the angles common to people of Native American or Asian descent. Her father said that she had the beauty of her people, whatever the hell that meant. To her it meant that she had features that made her look like a man.

_It certainly lends to the fact that I was ‘born a warrior’._

Sequoia sighed since that wasn’t what really bothered her. She had known that she was no beauty for a long time and accepted it. The only thing beautiful about her was her hair. It was raven black and a full head that trailed to just the bottom of her shoulder blades. It was definitely too long in terms of being a soldier and in combat but she couldn’t bring herself to cut it. It was like her mother’s hair and keeping it the length it was reminded her of her mother.

No, what bothered her was the meeting with Rorke. She long knew that her father and Elias knew each other and accepted that. The way how Rorke mentioned her father in that personal way… it just didn’t sit right. It was made worse by the way he speculated about her. There were a lot of things her father didn’t tell and probably because he couldn’t because of what he did for the military.

It was probably not the best thing to do but she wanted to know and the best source was her godfather. She walked swiftly and silently to where Elias would be in terms of making plans and whatever a commanding officer would do. She saw that the door was closed. As she approached, the door opened to let out Keegan and Merrick. Both passed her and shot her a look which she ignored for the most part and kept her attention on Elias.

“Hawk. What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to speak with you, sir.”

Elias looked at Sequoia and noted her stance and expression. Something was going on in that mind of hers. “What about?”

“Can we speak in private?”

Elias ushered her into his office. She didn’t take a seat but preferred to stand. He could tell by that she was in a serious mood. “What’s on your mind, Hawk?”

Sequoia took a breath. She had thought about how to approach this on the way down. Finally she said, “Honored brother of Thundering Bear, I come to you with a question that I want to know the answer to.”

It was formal but Elias knew that she was appealing to him and using the relationship he had with her father for grounding. He had to commend her for using that since the manner of her request dictated that he respect her request. He replied,” And what do you wish to know?”

“Was my father a Ghost?”

Elias looked at Sequoia with a raised brow. “No. Why do you ask?”

“Elias.” Sequoia gave a firm look at the man. She was well aware that she could be cited for insubordination. Merrick wouldn’t have any trouble taking that out on her and she probably would make things worse. Still she didn’t want to play games like she did before when she would visit Elias to give reports. She looked at him, her brown eyes flickering to reflect the fact that she was there to get an answer and she wasn’t going to leave without getting one.

Elias took in her expression with calm pride. She was like her father in many ways including when she was demanding not to be toyed with though she was more like her mother in the manner in which she did that. Keegan had filled him in on what happened and what had gone on so he knew what it was about. Sighing he replied, “He wasn’t Hawk. He would have made a hell of a Ghost but he declined the offer.”

Sequoia paused a moment before asking, “If he wasn’t a Ghost then, how did the hell Rorke know about him?”

“Because Charles was there the day I made that decision.” Elias knew he had her attention. She had only been a little girl then but she knew that her father was working then as it had been put to her. There were some things that Charles had kept from her and it was in line with the nature of his work. Still she was an adult and it was no secret that Rorke knew about his sons. “Charles was there when we went after Almagro as a specialist. Your father was good at his job Hawk but it was the kind of thing that most didn’t like to think about.”

“What was he going to do?” Sequoia had a feeling about the answer but she wanted the truth from Elias. “Why was he there?”

Elias sighed and then looked at her in the eye, “Charles was to interrogate Almagro. He may have been the one in charge but we had to make sure that there was no one else; we needed to take him out completely. Charles knew… techniques.”

Sequoia knew what Elias meant by that. “So Rorke knew my father because he was with you all?”

Elias gave a nod, “Charles was placed with us and had already acquired a reputation. Rorke… admired him for it and it bothered your father.” Elias turned to look out at nothing in particular. It just gave him time to think about what he was telling his friend’s daughter. “He would often question him about his tomahawk. I understand that you had a way of getting Ramos to talk.”

“I missed,” Sequoia replied as she crossed her arms over her chest. She looked downward to think about what she wanted to say next. “Rorke sounded like he really knew him. He called him Charlie and… as far as I know you were the only one allowed to call him that.” She looked at Elias with the question in her eyes.

Elias had turned to look back at Sequoia. He knew she would brush off what she did to Ramos since her main concern was this. Once she got ahold of something, she never let go. “It wasn’t the first time we worked together, Hawk. There was a reason why Charles told you things the way he did.”

Sequoia absorbed the information. She knew there was a reason why and she had been happy with the answers her father had given. She hadn’t wanted to know and he hadn’t told her. Now though it seemed that there was a reason why things were as they were. She looked up and asked, “Does Rorke know about me?”

“Does it matter now?”

“No but… I know he couldn’t see me properly but I got the feeling that he could. It was like he knew.”

“That was part of how he made the Ghosts feared, Hawk,” Elias said as he turned to look at her. “Rorke could make someone be guilty just by the way he suggested it. He knew that Charles, like you, was the only one to know how to use the tomahawk like you could.”

Sequoia heard it but she still didn’t buy it, “I don’t think so Elias. I was there and… It was a feeling that I got and for the most part it is never wrong. I didn’t like it.”

Elias was well aware of the gut instinct. It had saved her life and her team’s countless times over the past five years. That along with her skills of tracking and listening… he could understand why she wanted to know and he wanted to tell her. Rorke never knew about her; that he was certain. Charles never talked about his family except to him when they talked about the boys. Other than that, Charles never said a word about it to anyone. He looked at Sequoia, “We know the risks of this job.”

“I know,” Sequoia replied. “It’s just... I want to know if it will compromise my ability to do my job,” Sequoia replied, not willing to press it further. She could only do so much in terms of pushing the gut feeling and where did feelings matter? She straightened up and assumed an almost formal position. She wasn’t going to push.

Elias noticed the change in her posture. He knew that she wasn’t satisfied but she wasn’t going to press either. For as long as he knew her, he knew that the idea of admitting to anyone that she might be scared or needed help was laughable to other people. It was one of the things that he was sort of saddened to see because she never would say anything. At least she was aware that the Ghosts were a team and they had her back for anything. He replied, “You are safe in the sense that you are just another Ghost and not also my goddaughter.”

“So you know this is personal.”

“Yes. Keegan said as much when he reported in.” Elias looked at Sequoia and put his hands on her shoulders. “It will be okay Hawk.”

Sequoia would have liked to have said more but she didn’t. Instead she took comfort in Elias’ words even though she knew that things may be far from okay. She still couldn’t shake the unease that Rorke gave her and the fact that the man was going to hit the man who was like a second father to her in the hardest way possible. He wouldn’t hesitate to harm Logan or Hesh and she found that she didn’t want that to happen.

Satisfied to some degree, she nodded, “I understand sir.”

“Anything else?”

“No sir.”

“Dismissed then.” Elias watched as Sequoia began to take her leave. She was concerned about her being used to hurt him but she also wanted to know the truth about her father. He had given her what he thought was best and it was the truth but not all the details. If the time came and she needed to know he would tell her. Now she understood the relationships that were in existence. He let her go, knowing that she would still think about things; the reality of what she had done hadn’t quite set in yet. He repeated, “It will be okay.”

 “I know, sir.” Sequoia gave a slight smile as she turned to leave Elias to turn in for the night… or what was left of it.

****

The thing about waiting for news on data was that it was time consuming. When you had the adrenaline going, you were ready to go and you wanted to get moving and take care of it. Yet the respite is necessary. Human bodies were not the well-oiled machines that could run without a break. Time was needed to rest and to heal both physically and mentally. It was what enabled a person to rally and go back out and do the same shit they did the last time but it was a new day.

Hesh was certainly glad for the respite as he wandered the hall with Riley at his heels. He rotated his sore left shoulder grunting slightly at the throbbing pain. It wasn’t too bad but it still hurt like hell. It wasn’t fun getting shot and it certainly wasn’t fun getting scratches cleaned out by medics that seemed hell bent on making you suffer for doing your job; like it was your fault you got hit in the first place.

The injury was in the shoulder and he was ordered to go easy on it for the next couple of days. The same went for Logan only it was on his right. Keegan made a joke about not having one without the other. It produced some laughter even though it hurt like a bitch and Logan actually told the man to go fuck himself, which made more laughter. It certainly made Hesh laugh since Logan was always the more mild-mannered one but in a fight, that was a deception.

Elias always said that Hesh and Logan were polar opposites in temperament but when put together they made a formidable team. As kids whenever Logan perceived his older brother at a disadvantage it was like releasing hell’s fury. Hesh would do the same for Logan but the fun part was that people assumed Logan wasn’t going to fight back. That wasn’t how the Walker boys were raised though. They fought back.

Riley’s whine caught Hesh’s attention and he looked at the dog. Riley had picked up a familiar scent and that whine was usually reserved for someone who was family. So that meant that it was either Logan, an unlikely thing since he was still asleep, or Elias and that man sometimes was up way before the crack of dawn if it was urgent enough or he wanted to put him and Logan through one of his tests that required they be in a semi awake state.

He found that he was outside wandering the deck of the safe house they rendezvoused at and it was facing the east with a nice view of the scenery and the sun rising. Before he could stop him, Riley gave the whine and trotted forward to the person sitting on the edge of the deck overhanging a small drop. Hesh paused since he recognized who it was.

Sequoia had been up since the early hours. She had always been an early riser and today was no different. It was more out of force of habit since she had been given the go ahead to sleep in by Elias even though she hadn’t had any serious injury from the mission. The few scratches were nothing in her opinion and didn’t warrant a lie abed moment. Besides she felt rested and she just wanted some quiet since she had time to think about things especially the new information about Rorke.

Elias was right in that it didn’t matter if Rorke knew she was her father’s daughter. Charles Williams was dead and had been dead for ten years and if Rorke was set on revenge, then there was no means of getting it. But if he knew about her relationship to Elias, that was one more thing to use against him. Hesh and Logan were his sons and a direct hit to Elias. She didn’t like the feeling that she was somewhat ‘safe’ from this but she wouldn’t do anything to hurt Elias so she wouldn’t bring it up again but just do her job.

She took a breath of the morning air and gave a smile. It was a new day and it seemed to make things feel better. She checked her watch and noted that it was still early for breakfast, even for coffee. She stretched her limbs and continued to sit until she heard a whine. Turning she saw Riley approaching her with his tongue lolling out. She smiled and greeted the dog, “Hi Riley.”

Riley gave a high pitched whine and came close enough for her to give a rub to his ears. He lolled his tongue out at her and gave a bark of approval. Sequoia couldn’t help but chuckle at the dog. He wasn’t a cute puppy since he was trained to be a killer but he was affectionate and very loyal. He was currently enjoying her attentions and he showed it by giving a gentle lick to her hand before sitting next her tightly. She couldn’t help but say, “I guess it doesn’t take much to win over you huh, boy?”

Riley gave a bark and then looked around. It had Sequoia look around. If Riley was up and about he usually was in the company of one of the Walker boys or Elias. She wouldn’t mind company from Logan. He was fun to get along with and he was truly interested in getting to know her. He was the kind of brother she would have liked to have. Hesh was something else and she wasn’t sure of what to make of him. He was a good brother looking after Logan but there was…

She was to find out who it was when Hesh stepped out and said, “Riley.”

The dog didn’t move but instead looked up at Hesh with a lolling tongue and a slight whine. Sequoia looked at Riley and said, “Go on.”

Riley whined again clearly not wanting to go. Hesh sighed. Riley didn’t disobey orders and he didn’t want to cause a scene. “Come Riley. I’m sorry.”

“No harm.” Sequoia tried to help Hesh out. “Riley. Go on.” She gave a firm look at the dog but he was holding his ground. “Is he usually like this?”

“No. I am curious what the hell you did,” Hesh replied. His tone wasn’t harsh but he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Sequoia looked up at Hesh with a raised brow. “He is _your_ dog. I merely checked him out.”

Hesh couldn’t deny that. Her assessment had been correct and Riley was fine. Sighing he made a motion and asked, “You mind?”

“No.” Sequoia then turned to look back out at the landscape. Riley pressed into her more and was panting happily.

If Hesh expected anything further, he was to be disappointed. Slowly he moved to sit by Sequoia on her left and dangled his legs over the edge like she was doing. He sat there with his hands folded in his lap and just looked around. Occasionally he glanced over at Sequoia and noted the calm air she exhibited as she stared out. Not a muscle was twitching until Riley laid down and put his head in her lap. Then she started petting him with her fingers smoothing the fur. The rest of her body was still allowing him to get a good look at her profile.

First thought was that she was the definition of strong and silent type since she never talked much at least to him. Her eyes were bright and alert and he noticed that she had fairly long hair. He was surprised by it since most of the women that enlisted cut their hair short. It looked like she didn’t and he wondered how she was able to get by that. Now it was currently hanging in a single braid down her back and stopped just at the bottom of her shoulder blades.

The silence wasn’t oppressive but Hesh got the feeling that if it had been Logan, the two of them would be talking up a storm. He decided to give it a try. He cleared his throat and said, “It’s a nice morning.”

“Agreed.”

“Ever see anything like it when…”

“Sweeping the Wall never allowed me to see it.” Sequoia didn’t mean to sound so clipped but she wasn’t sure how to act. He outranked her technically and she only spoke when necessary like during a mission. She glanced over at Hesh before turning back to looking out in the landscape. Her fingers continued to smooth out Riley’s fur.

“Oh.” Hesh cleared his throat. At least that was something but it was like pulling teeth. The interrogation of Ramos went much easier and that was because it was part of the mission. He cleared his throat again.

“How is your arm?”

Hesh rotated his shoulder. “Still sore but I’m alive. Logan is fine.”

“I know. I spoke to him last night.” Sequoia took a breath and looked at her left since her right was occupied with petting Riley. “He has good spirits. He doesn’t let much get him down.” She paused a moment before she added, “He holds his emotions well.”

Hesh felt his lips twitch a little. It wasn’t that hard to pick out the differences between him and his brother. The way she said it, it felt like he was six years old again and being scolded for not behaving even though she wasn’t implying anything. A dry chuckle came out and looked down before looking over at Sequoia. “Yeah. Listen uh… thanks for… keeping it calm.”

Sequoia glanced over at Hesh not sure of what to make of it. In her mind she was doing what she usually did. She looked outward and replied, “Old habit. Before I was Echo Three. Had a hotheaded lieutenant and I was the one that reminded him to keep it cool.” She glanced over nervously since she wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to say. Combat or even art she was good at and she could talk to Logan about just anything. This was different… more different than when she spoke with Elias in terms of a superior officer. It part of those feelings that she wasn’t sure what they meant.

Hesh took in her response with a nod. He couldn’t get why she was so stiff with him except when they were on a mission. At least they were talking. Before the mission she hardly spoke to him unless she had to. “Still… thanks. I know I get a little…”

Sequoia nodded, “Sometimes a reminder is all that is needed.” She lapsed into silence since that was more or less a safe thing.

Hesh responded by being silent as well. There was nothing wrong with it and they sat in companionable silence. It was almost like being kids again since their legs were dangling over the edge and just looking around. He found himself enjoying the silence even though he normally would be fidgeting unless he was on the mission; he had to have something to do. This time it was different.

They sat there until Hesh guessed correctly that the kitchen was open. He glanced over to see that Sequoia was still sitting still. She was no longer petting Riley but her hand was still on the dog and he looked like he was enjoying the attention. He turned to stare back out at the landscape and said, “Kitchen’s open now. Do want a cup of coffee? Breakfast?”

Sequoia paused for a minute and then nodded, “Sounds good.”

Hesh was on his feet first and had his hand extended out to give a hand. Sequoia looked up and took the proffered hand. He had a firm grip; she certainly felt it when they were making their exfil. She was sliding on the ground and had the laptop hooked onto her tomahawk after catching it when it fell to the ground and slid past her and was heading towards debris that meant certain death. Hesh had ended up grabbing her by the shoulder of her vest and pulling her towards him before they both slid down and out.

Without gloves on, the skin to skin contact was like when she purposely brushed his uniform with his. She didn’t say anything as she got to her feet with his help. Riley was on his feet looking like he was going to get a treat. Actually he was going to get one since he usually did. He gave a happy bark making Sequoia’s lips twitch and she said, “Look like someone knows it’s time for chow.”

“He knows food,” Hesh offered with a shrug as he released her hand.

Sequoia gave a shrug of her shoulders in agreement. She reached down and gave Riley a scratch on the ears before straightening up. She waited until Hesh started walking and she followed with Riley close on their heels. They walked side by side in silence towards the kitchen. It was like a somber procession as they silently grabbed a plate of whatever it was that was available along with a cup of coffee.

They sat at a table and silent ate. Occasionally Sequoia fed bits to Riley even though Hesh gave her a scowl for that. It didn’t help that he did the same too. It was that way until Logan joined them and teased his brother about learning patience. Hesh told Logan to shut up and noticed the slight smile that Sequoia was giving while she took a sip of her coffee before saying something about the hardest lessons going against a person’s nature and said it in a tone that had Logan laughing as she cast a knowing look in his direction.


	7. Chapter 7

_Thump._

Sequoia looked at the target where her tomahawk lodged itself. It was a pretty good shot. She thought about how she scared the crap out of Ramos. It had her wonder if she had the same ‘gift’ as her father. He was an interrogator as Elias implied and a damned good one. Something about his technique aside from personality attracted Rorke like that. And it did take skill to do what she did by driving it home in between Ramos’ fingers without so much as a scratch.

Walking over she pulled it out of the target and walked back to the line. She twirled it in her hand and switched it from one hand to the other. She had taught herself to shoot while using the tomahawk and practiced relentlessly. She did it on her own time and it came in handy. She twirled it and gave a slight crouched spin and threw. It landed where she had hit the previous time.

“Finally we get a demonstration.”

Sequoia looked up to see Keegan was watching her. She walked over to pull her weapon out and she held it in her hands. She let her fingers run along the blade and the wood grain of the handle. She replied, “I would have thought the whole thing with Ramos was one. It certainly works for parties.”

Keegan had been watching her since she started practicing. True she had shown what she could do and he didn’t miss how she took down those tangos with that thing. He countered, “It was field testing. This is a demonstration.”

“And they are two different things,” Sequoia added as she continued to finger the tomahawk. Then out of habit she twirled it until she had the head between her first and forefinger. “I would think that field testing is more telling.”

“And you may be right.” Keegan took a couple of steps forward. He looked at her in the eye for a moment. He was impressed that she wasn’t intimidated by him and was willing to meet him face to face. No doubt if he gave her the chance she would fight him. “You are like Charles. The head butt was the clue.”

“I didn’t know you guys,” Sequoia replied. She looked around and studied the area surrounding the safe house. It was wide and open and she found where she had been sitting that morning with Hesh. She looked back at Keegan and then asked, “How’s the nose?”

Keegan gave a slight smile. She made no apologies for what she had done since she thought she was clearly justified in her actions. Charles was the same way when it came to the fight and with the most difficult choices… “Doing fine. It isn’t broken.”

“Good. I was beginning to think the mask was to hide it.”

Keegan couldn’t help but laugh, “You really are like Charles.”

Sequoia cleared her throat slightly at that. “I really wouldn’t know. Anything he did with the military… I am a sheltered princess.”

“Now that is bullshit,” Keegan countered as he picked up a knife from the side table. He took aim and threw it down the range. “You are not sheltered. No one who could get in close to a Fed and get the drop on him with that calm of an expression is sheltered.”

Sequoia looked at where Keegan’s knife landed. She nodded in approval where it hit. She flipped the tomahawk and twirled it before throwing it down range. “I learned how to be a warrior. We are taught to be the way we are.” She walked down to the target to inspect where they hit. She pulled out the knife and then the tomahawk. “My father believed that the more disciplined you were, the stronger you were.”

“So that’s why you offer no apologies.”

“I was justified. You grabbed me and I thought you were trying to hurt me.” Sequoia shrugged her shoulders. She looked at Keegan and then added, “But if you want one, I could give one.”

Keegan chuckled, “I don’t think so. I think I prefer you to not.” He paused and asked, “Are you always that confident in your choices.”

“That is the illusion,” Sequoia pointed out. She handed back the knife and turned to think. “It’s confidence. Half the time I gave an order to my guys I was terrified. But in the end it was what it was.” She turned to look at Keegan, “What do you think about Captain Walker…yourself when you give your team the orders?”

Keegan nodded as he took the knife back. He didn’t reply to that but he did give a slight smile. He had watched as she worked during the mission. He was worried that she and Hesh were going to butt heads but it worked out especially when she told Hesh to calm down. “I see what you mean,” he finally said, “You’re still very much like Charles. He was a good man. I hope you know that Hawk.” He looked at her wondering if his words were sinking in.

Sequoia looked at the man and nodded, “I know.” She paused a moment and then asked, “How do you know Charles is my father?”

Keegan shrugged but then saw the expression on her face. He said, “Elias told me when I asked about you. That and just some of the things you did… Charles was similar.” He paused and then added, “He saved my ass during Almagro. I got hit and would have been cut down but he took care of it. And we were supposed to be watching out for him.”

Sequoia listened to Keegan and absorbed his words. She felt her lips rise into a smile as she remembered when she had been in training. She looked at the man and said, “My father believed in the old ways of the Sioux and he taught them to me and the others.” She saw the look and explained, “Children are raised together. We play together, learn together. The old way had us call every woman in the tribe mother and every older warrior grandfather. The point is that we are taught that for every action we take affects the tribe as a whole; every choice is made for the good of the tribe.”

That made sense to Keegan. He had observed Charles twelve years ago and now he watched her as she looked after the Walker boys. “Then it’s no wonder your team made it that far when it did and why you’re a Ghost now.”

“I still don’t know about being a Ghost,” Sequoia pointed out with a slight chuckle. She played with her tomahawk in her hands. “I signed up after ODIN and just assumed the role of soldier. Just a grunt in things to do the one thing and that is take down the Federation.” She shrugged her shoulders, “I just go with it and when I get the feeling, I go with it.”

“I heard about your knack for survival. It was what we needed out there and you delivered.”

“Oh thank you,” Sequoia replied with a hint of sarcasm. She was still smiling and Keegan was chuckling with her. “So you think this kid did okay?”

“More than okay. I think they will be talking about how you made Ramos scream like a girl for a while,” Keegan admitted. He sobered and then said, “Don’t worry about Rorke.”

“Oh there is plenty to worry about considering that he is hunting Ghosts and that doesn’t sit well with me.” She sighed and leaned against the table. “I may not be sure of my place but as long as I’m here, anything that bastard does to this team… I’ll give ‘em hell. Like I said, as children, we are taught together, we play together and we fight together.”

“That I’ll hold you to kid.”

“Hawk.”

Keegan looked at her. He nodded, “Okay Hawk. Thought it was just a thing between you and Elias.”

“It’s part of my name. Makes it easier than my first or last name.” She gave a slight smile trying not to laugh. She stood up straight and pointed to the second range. “You wanna have a competition? Going for precision and accuracy?”

“And what are you going to use? Unless you have three of those then it would be an easy win for me,” Keegan pointed out.

“I wasn’t talking about this old thing,” Sequoia replied as she indicated towards her tomahawk. She twirled it and put it back on its place on her belt. She picked up a set of three knives and held them in her hands. “I meant with these guys.”

“Need a neutral party,” Keegan replied with an affirming nod.

At that moment Merrick passed by. Keegan got a sly look on his face and called out to the man saying that they needed a referee. When Merrick saw who Keegan was going against he started to refuse. Keegan managed to persuade him saying that if she lost, she could get an ass chewing.

It was presumptuous on Keegan’s part that she would allow it but Sequoia nodded in agreement. She considered that it was fair since she did give the man a black eye that was now almost completely healed. He even gave a sort of comment when they got back about how she was able to hold onto the laptop with the information that they had been after. She said, “And I promise I will take it like a man.”

Keegan was trying hard not to laugh since she was giving the impression that she was being meek about it. Merrick was agreeable to being the referee after her acquiescence to taking a tongue lashing like a man. Besides he wanted to see for himself what Keegan had reported about the newest of the Ghosts. He said, “Alright. Standard rules?”

“Going for precision and accuracy,” Keegan pointed out.

“Fine. Three volleys and one at a time.”

Sequoia had played this game before with her father and a couple of the other boys who learned the skill of knife throwing. She would set up a game with Echo Team when they caught a break and she gave them the order to have a little fun. Like she admitted, she was a hard ass but she cared and part of it was healthy body and healthy mind. She grinned and she took her position.

Three volleys later determined that Keegan was the winner but it was very close. Sequoia took her part and let Merrick scold her about her skills and that being a Ghost meant being the best. She took it in good humor and let Merrick vent. When he was finished she said, “Yes, sir. I will improve, sir.”

Merrick was well aware that she was making fun of him even though it wasn’t readily apparent. Still he would accept it as an apology of sorts and they had an understanding. He gave her a nod and she gave it back. He couldn’t help but mutter, “Just like Charles.”

Sequoia stayed where she was, volunteering to clear up while trying to keep the laughter that threatened under control. She also wanted time to think. It seemed that the team knew she was Charlie Williams’ daughter and they were going to compare her to him. The man trained her after all and it seemed she knew how to do some of the same things he was known for doing.

“You did that on purpose didn’t you?”

Sequoia turned to see Logan come out. She replied, “I don’t know what you mean.”

Logan came up and started putting the knives away. “Come on Hawk. Hesh and I both saw you take out those Feds. You should’ve won.”

“It was close,” Sequoia replied. When she looked at Logan she could tell he didn’t buy it. She sighed and said, “Alright, I may have purposely missed. Sometimes though you have to do things in order to bring about harmony for the team.”

“Well Merrick did mellow out.”

“True but sometimes you gotta help things out a little.” Sequoia grinned at Logan and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t’ worry about it. Merrick knows I did it on purpose and we’re agreeable to that. Come on.”

****

“You sure you want to give me that?”

Sequoia looked at Logan as she finished tying the leather thong around the handle. “Yeah and I aim to teach you how to use it.”

Logan eyed the hand axe she was working on. It had been a spontaneous thing on his end when she told him to meet her at the range in ten minutes. She was back in less than that and she was carrying a hand axe and a bag that was made of leather. He could see the obvious reason for the hand axe but not the bag. He didn’t ask until she asked him what he thought of the hand axe and he said it looked good and she said, “Good. It’s yours now.”

So now he was watching as she was working with the leather thong and tying it to the hand axe. She made a loop for a wrist to slip through. He asked, “You want to teach me how to use that?” He pointed at the hand axe still wondering if his new friend was going crazy or not. “Why?”

“Always nice to learn something new. Don’t you think?” Sequoia finished tying the thong and took in Logan’s expression and gave a slight sigh. She then added, “You trust me?”

“Now that is a stupid question, Hawk,” Logan replied with a slight frown. “I just want to know why you want to teach me something you’re good at.”

Sequoia thought about what she was going to say. Finally she said, “I guess maybe I just think you’d be good at it and… can you indulge a tradition of an older warrior teaching a younger one? In my tribe, children are taught together by an older warrior. Just a passing on thing.”

Logan thought about it. He joked, “You know this isn’t what I heard about the commanding officer of Echo Team.” He gave a slight smile at her to indicate that he was teasing.

Sequoia couldn’t help but chuckle. She knew the stories too. “No it isn’t. It’s the best kept secret of Echo Team.” She smirked at Logan who was starting to laugh along with her. She took a breath and explained, “I may have been rumored to be a hard ass, but I took care of my team. Whenever possible, I gave them the order to have fun.”

“That is the best kept secret,” Logan agreed. He was grinning as he looked at the hand axe. He knew he was right about Sequoia when he first met her; that she was more than meets the eye and he was enjoying learning about her. He gestured towards the hand axe, “So what about this thing? Why a hand axe?”

“Weight difference. Mine is made for me… well it was made for my size now and I trained on it since I was nine.” Sequoia gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. She held out the hand axe, “Any way it is the same principles and you might like the feel of this.”

Logan took the hand axe and held it up by the handle. He wriggled his wrist to get a feel for the hand axe. It actually felt pretty good. He nodded, “This is pretty good.”

“Good cause it’s also handy for chopping wood.” Sequoia laughed at the look that Logan was giving her. She shook her head to indicate that she was teasing since she was still laughing. She managed to catch the hand axe since it slipped. “Whoa there. That’s why I put that on.” She slipped the loop over Logan’s wrist. “So that way you don’t lose it. I used to lose mine all the time until my father made me one.” She pulled out her tomahawk to show Logan hers.

Logan looked at the loop around his wrist and then where she was gripping it near the head. She released it once he had a grip on it. He looked at hers and noticed it was well worn but still strong. He nodded, “Well I don’t want to hit anything.”

Sequoia smiled at Logan as she took up her tomahawk. “We don’t want that to happen though it wouldn’t hurt if it was a Fed.”

Logan chuckled at that and said, “Only if it was a miss.”

Sequoia chuckled at that. Keegan was right in that was going to be around for a time. She nodded as she walked over to a clear area and beckoned Logan over and pointed to where he was going to stand. “I don’t talk much but in order for this to work, you need to let the weapon become a part of you.” She demonstrated by making a few swings. “It’s an extension of your arm. Become comfortable with it and it is like you are hitting your opponent with your own fist. When it becomes one with you, you can do anything.” She demonstrated by maneuvering her weapon in her hand.

Logan watched and adjusted the handle in his hand. He moved it until he had the handle in a comfortable grip. He made a couple of movements to test it and make sure that it was comfortable in his hand.

“Good,” Sequoia nodded in approval.

“Feels good,” Logan replied.

“Okay, keep that position and let’s start with the basic stance.” She stood in a position that looked like she was going to throw the tomahawk. She started with basic movements. “Follow through. Nice and slow. Slow.” She demonstrated with slow movements. She held her left out as if to control the force of her movements but was really going back into old dance movements.

Logan watched as she lapsed into silence and adopted the stance that she was doing. He started making the same movements she was. He noted that she just repeated them over and over. So he followed and watched and imitated. It continued until they were swinging pretty much in sync with each other. He had to ask, “Repetition the way you learned?”

Sequoia finished the round and said, “Watch, repeat, learn… It sort of was the standard but if you think about it, practice…”

“Makes perfect,” Logan finished.

“Wouldn’t put it that way since my father told me that nothing is perfect but the Creator,” Sequoia replied as she finished and then straightened out. She looked around the area just to get the view and out of habit to make sure the area was secure. She looked back at Logan and rubbed her hand on the blade of her tomahawk. She had abandoned the uniform shirt and was wearing a standard t-shirt. It showed off her figure pretty well… not that she noticed. She just focused on what she was teaching Logan and said, “He actually said that we would always be flawed no matter what we did.”

“Sounds a bit harsh.”

“Well, he said a lot of things that sounded harsh but I think it had more to do with what he saw on the job and it just filtered into his training.”

Logan wiped the sweat that had formed on his brow. His blonde hair was cut in the crew cut of a solider and the beads of sweat clung to the tips. He had come out wearing his t-shirt and pants and he could feel the sweat on his back. He studied Sequoia as she fingered her weapon like she was lost in thought. “Dad trained me and Hesh in his way. I think that parents just want to make sure that their kids don’t make the same mistakes.”

“Or they know how to survive,” Sequoia added with a knowing look. “My father made it a point to make sure I knew how.”

“I think he did a good job. You’re here now,” Logan offered with a cheeky grin. “Personally I think it was the best thing that Dad made you a Ghost.”

“And the younger Walker sweet talks the hard ass Echo Three,” Sequoia teased with a grin.

“Only telling a friend the truth,” Logan replied. He got into his ready stance and said, “Come on. A little more?”

Sequoia gave a smile. She was right in starting to teach Logan. He had picked up on the basics and long before they had finished. She saw that he had patience and was willing to follow through with her methods. Well she had been a bit more explaining when she worked with Carol on her shooting. It felt more like she was doing her part in teaching a younger member of the tribe this time around. It was a bit difficult to explain it and it was a bit unconventional since Logan was not Sioux but… She chuckled, “Okay but I think that we could go up a notch.”

Logan watched as she assumed a position to face him like she was going to fight him. He frowned a bit and turn so they looked like they were in a row but he was stopped when she told him to face her. He frowned and raised a brow in query at her.

“I want you to use what you learned and come forward in attack,” Sequoia explained in a matter of fact tone. “Attack me.”

Logan wasn’t sure he heard right. He held the hand axe in his hand and adjusted his stance, not sure what to do. Actually he did know but he wasn’t sure about attacking her.

“Go on. Attack.”

Logan knew a command when he heard one and started out with the first movement. He moved slow and found that she blocked it using her tomahawk. He went to the second movement and the next. Each was blocked as he slowly followed through to the next one until the end. It felt almost like sword play but he noticed that she was using the whole weapon to mount her defense.

“Good,” Sequoia said. “Now you defend.” She then moved forward like Logan did with the same movements.

Logan blocked the strikes. He didn’t attempt anything fancy like she did since he was getting used to the weapon. He was glad that the loop was around his wrist since he felt it almost slip out of his hand as he blocked one of her strikes. He also found himself backing up until his heel hit the back of the range stall. He countered by moving forward in an attack and just a little bit faster.

“Good,” Sequoia replied as she grinned, eager for the strikes. “Nice and easy. Stay with the flow you are at. Get used to how it feels.” She liked that Logan had picked it up so fast. It only told her that he may be quiet about certain things but when asked to perform, he did it. Certainly it showed in battle and as she had said, she heard the stories.

They went back and forth until Logan managed to get her to lose her tomahawk and it went flying out of her hand and out of sight. He almost stopped but she waved him on. They went back and forth until Riley’s bark sounded. Sequoia moved and found herself next to Riley holding her tomahawk. The dog relinquished it but Logan was already coming down with a strike.

Logan tried to stop but the force of his swing was already in motion. He was surprised when he felt his hand grabbed and he heard a grunt along with the thud of a foot kicking something. He blinked when he saw his brother holding onto the handle of the axe and trying hard to absorb the impact of Sequoia’s boot in his gut. He was surprised since her angle clearly indicated that she was going to block it.

 “First rule of sparring is to never interfere unless you are sure there is danger,” she said as she got up. Her expression was like a stern taskmaster.

“Thanks I get for you not getting your foot cut off,” Hesh grunted as he rubbed his abdomen.

“No danger of that. I was aiming for Logan’s wrist. I’ve done this move before.” She looked at Logan and asked in a more gentle tone, “You okay Logan?”

“I’m good.”

Hesh almost wanted to scowl as he watched Sequoia ruffle Logan’s head and then scratch Riley’s ears. She barely gave him a glance and it irked him. He didn’t have time to go into it since Merrick was bellowing that they were needed in ops. He rubbed his abdomen and got a slight look of sympathy that was mingled with mockery from his brother and shot him a look.


	8. Chapter 8

“You okay?”

Hesh looked at his younger brother as they walked down the halls to where ops were. He was still rubbing his abdomen and was not even aware that he was doing it. He looked at what he was doing and dropped his hand. “I’m good.”

Logan eyed his older brother and couldn’t resist smirking. Hesh was loyal and protective but that was a first he jumped in the middle of a sparring session to prevent Sequoia from getting hurt. He also noticed how Hesh was the first to pull her from danger on their first mission together and didn’t let go until they were about to crash through the glass. He teased, “Kind of reminds me when Stacey what’s her name kicked you in the shins. You were what eight?”

“Not the same thing and it was nine,” Hesh corrected.

Logan laughed, “Right and let’s see… first the shins. Then she hit you with a soccer ball…”

“Shut up.”

“Not the first time a girl hit you though this time… you shouldn’t have done that.”

“Not my fault you were going to hit her.”

“Dude, seriously? It was sparring. You are supposed to hit each other and she was in the middle of teaching me something.” Logan couldn’t believe Hesh was going to go through all this. They had both sparred with women soldiers before during boot, mostly for a dare, and nothing happened seriously with that. There was something different about Sequoia that had his brother sometimes looking like an ass and other times looking like he had no idea what just happened. “She wasn’t going to let anything bad happen.”

“Tell that to the fact you were working with an axe of all things.”

“She was teaching me and she told me to keep going,” Logan replied in an exasperated tone. “We may be the same rank but sometimes it’s better to follow her lead.”

Hesh would have said something but they were joined by the subject of their conversation looking refreshed in a clean shirt. Her dog tags were hanging out and attached to it was a little something that looked like it added weight to it but it was well worn and hard to make out the shape of it. She looked at the two Walker boys and asked, “Something up?”

“No. Just talking about other times we got our asses kicked,” Logan replied knowing that it was going to annoy his brother.

“As long as they were worthy enough to fight then you learn something,” Sequoia offered with a slight smile, mostly for Logan’s benefit. She gave a polite nod to Hesh and stood out of the way to let him pass.

It ended up being a standoff of no one moving until Merrick bellowed, “DO you three need a special invitation? Get your asses in here.”

“Sir,” Sequoia motioned to indicate Hesh was to go first.

Seeing that she wasn’t going to move until he did, Hesh stepped forward and started walking fast before Merrick bellowed at them again. Logan followed behind with Sequoia in step with him. It was made worse in Hesh’s view when Merrick said, “Glad to see you could make it in between looking like a bunch of idiots standing around.”

Sequoia moved up from behind Hesh and replied, “And here I was thinking that ass chewing earlier covered this.” She looked at Merrick with a serious expression that actually made the whole situation comical.

Keegan was trying hard not to laugh and Elias was trying equally as well but he was better at it. He just watched as two of his men were settling something. Merrick looked at Sequoia who was looking serious in a most respectful manner and replied, “That was for before. Now we are even.”

“Yes, sir,” Sequoia replied with a slight smirk. “I look forward to it.”

“Just like Charles,” Merrick muttered with a very faint smile but it was masked by a scowl.

“Are you done?”

Sequoia turned to address Elias, “Oscar mike sir.” She gave a nod and stood to wait for what they were called to do. She glanced and saw that Keegan was giving her a slight gesture of approval. She didn’t do anything but focused her full attention on Elias and what he was about to tell them. Time to get serious now.

Elias studied Sequoia. It seemed that the team was going through memory lane. It was hard to forget his old friend Charles. He looked at his men and began, “Ramos’ laptop was badly damaged but NORAD made a big find.”

“Rorke?”

Sequoia noted how fast Hesh jumped to that conclusion. She was wary of the man too but she wasn’t going to go looking for trouble. She could only hope that Hesh would keep a cool head. She surprised herself by how much she was determined and cared enough to not let that happen. She turned her attention to Elias who was bringing up specs. She pointed out, “Looks like he moves every twelve hours.”

“And for the next twelve we know exactly where he’ll be,” Elias nodded as he continued. “A floating industrial complex out in the Gulf occupied by the Federation.” He brought up the specs on the complex they were going to hit. “They call it the Freeport.”

“I’ve heard about this place. Not an easy hit,” Sequoia pointed out. “It has perfect places for defenses against aerial attack on some of the high ground. There was an op that tried to take it but failed.”

“But Rorke is there,” Hesh pointed out.

“NORAD made the find and they want him alive,” Elias cut in with a slight nod.

“I hope Command has plan, sir,” Sequoia said as she sat back on her heels. “Like I said, defenses against aerial insertion did a number on the last op. And if Rorke is as good as is said… he might have something planned.”

All eyes seemed to be on Sequoia but she was just waiting for any word from Elias. It was probably a habit that would have to be nipped in the bud on her end but he had always let her speak her mind on things and she did it with the utmost respect of a ranking officer. Elias knew that and knew that she only pointed it out because it was a risk. He replied, “You’re getting some salvaged birds to hunt with and I’ll be in a Spectre coordinating the multiple units.”

Sequoia nodded when she heard the plan. It would give them a chance. She adjusted her stance as Hesh commented on it being one hell of a hunt.

“Big game but you know what to do.” Elias was looking at all of his men but he let his gaze linger on his sons and Sequoia. He had faith in them. “So mount up. Dismissed.”

“Gutsy, kid,” Merrick whispered to Sequoia as he walked past her. “Just like Charles.”

Sequoia glanced at Merrick and noticed a sort of look of approval. While it was nice to know that her father was well received by the Ghosts even though he wasn’t one of them, it sort of made her feel like she was in his shadow and it had her wondering about herself. She wanted to know more about what her father did when he went on his missions.

There wasn’t time to say anything since they needed to be packed and gone. She was back in her room and changing and grabbing her gear. She grabbed her bag when something fell to the ground. She heard it fall and turned to take a look. When she saw what it was she frowned and bent over to pick it up.

It was a set of pictures with their backs pasted together. On one side was of her and her parents. It was when she was nine, if she remembered correctly. It was roughly when she started learning how to use the tomahawk. Peering at it she remembered that it was right around her birthday and the day that she had received not only the tomahawk but something else. She studied the image and thought about how happy they were. She wondered if their life was really like she had lived it. Did her father feel like he was living a lie with the job he did?

Flipping the picture over she saw an image that was fairly recent. It was actually taken ten years ago at her place in San Diego. That had been a difficult day. It should have been a happy day but it was a day that changed her life; it in fact changed many lives that day.

_The day was bright. Sequoia was looking up at the sky. She had a strange feeling since she had woken up but she brushed it off as excitement and nervousness. It was to be a big break for her and how she would represent her people. There was no way that things could go wrong. In fact there were some people who were glad to see her… some more than others._

_“Do we have to do this?”_

_Sequoia looked at the ten year old girl looking petulant with the pout on her lips. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt but it was clear that she thought it was plain. Sequoia replied, “Your mother asked me to teach you a couple of things.”_

_“Please. Mom just said that to make this trip worthwhile.” The girl tried pouting some more until it became full on out boredom. “She just wants to say that the ‘great White Hawk’ passed on skills to the younger generation.”_

_“Your mother asked me to teach you an important lesson about who you are.” Sequoia marched up towards her and tugged her towards the tree. “The lesson will be done climbing this tree. You follow and if you don’t this will get back to your mother.” She had been firm and maybe a little bitchy but the girl had been this way since she arrived with her mother. “Follow me.”_

_Sequoia climbed the tree first and started up and looked down. “Come on Skye.” She continued the climb._

_Skye followed up sulking along the way, “I don’t know why this is a big deal.” She stopped when she got up a certain height and couldn’t reach. “I can’t do this.”_

_“Yes you can. Stop being a baby.”_

_Skye looked up at her and said with narrowed eyes, “I hate you.” She started to move and ended up missing a step. She fell out of the tree and scraped her palm on the bark of the trunk. She landed on the ground with a thud._

_Sequoia was down on the ground and offered to take a look but Skye snatched it away. She glared at her and repeated, “I hate you.”_

_Sequoia would have said something but the ground rumbled. She looked around as the tremors began to grow. When she looked back Skye was already heading to the house where her mother was and it looked like she was prepared to tattle. Then the tremors worsened and the ground began to shake and break. She shouted but the houses started to collapse…_

Sequoia looked at the picture. She blinked at it and sighed. It was a long time ago. There was no way she could change it even if she wanted to. Still it was one of the few things that she wished hadn’t ended on the note that it did. The picture was of her and Skye when Skye turned ten and before she had become so sullen about being who she was.

“I wish you had been able to understand Skye,” Sequoia whispered before she muttered something in Sioux. She then put the picture in her pocket and turned to head out to meet the transport.

****

_Outlaw 2-1 you are clear to proceed. We’ll cover you._

_Solid copy, Five-Zero. We’re inbound._

Sequoia looked over at the pilot of the chopper from her spot next to Logan. She looked at the skies and looked at the Apache helicopters doing their job taking out the air defense systems in place. This time they were going in prepared and that was a win in her book.

_Shit they’re locked on._

_Good missile._

_Thanks for the help there, One-One._

She didn’t flinch when it became evident that they were in danger of getting hit and possibly knocked out of the sky. That was the risk they had to take though. She tensed up and only relaxed slightly when they were in the clear to land. She had her hand down and was ready to leap out when the chopper touched the deck.

_Ghost team is on the deck. Repeat, Ghost team is on the ground and moving._

Sequoia locked and loaded as she followed the team with Logan on her right flank. Almost immediately they were met with resistance and they were determined to take them out. She took cover by a block and peered over looking for a target. Logan was right beside her and he was firing as Merrick and Keegan moved up. Hesh was pinned by a heavy vehicle until he took a chance and joined them. “Nice of you to drop in,” she murmured.

“Likewise,” Hesh countered as he fired at the enemies hidden in the building. “Cover me.”

It was a slow and steady movement upwards and they managed to clear the front of the place. Deeper inside proved to be difficult. She shouted, “Contact one o’clock!”

“Twelve o’clock!”

It was like going against an effective barrier of fire. Sequoia took cover by the walls edge and returned fire when she could. She almost missed it when Logan passed her and managed to toss in a couple of grenades. There were still a lot of enemies to get past in order to get to their goal. She moved up to another position to get at the enemies in the back. She kneeled to steady her shots and fired to give Logan cover.

“Grenade!”

Sequoia found herself yanked to the side and something heavy covering her. It was followed by the bang of the grenade going off. The heavy something turned out to be Hesh who had spotted the grenade land near her. His reaction was instantaneous and he grabbed her and they took cover to avoid the blast. He pulled her up and said, “Watch your corners.”

“Don’t talk to me like I’m five,” Sequoia retorted as she continued to move forward now that the area was clear. “Sir,” she added as an afterthought.

Hesh said nothing but continued to follow her. He checked on his brother who was moving with Keegan and Merrick. She passed the armored vehicle and took out the enemies that tried to come through the doors before taking cover against the wall of the large doorway. He wondered if she was crazy or not and took cover with her.

Sequoia said nothing but continued to fire at the Feds she spotted. They were hiding behind the concrete barriers and on the upper levels. She could spot the movement from her bad position. She pointed out, “On the catwalk, RPG possibly and maybe a sniper.”

Hesh was not going to try and figure out how she did that. It wasn’t worth it when she helped Logan out in Caracas and it certainly wasn’t worth it here. He asked, “Can you take them out?”

“Give me cover.”

Hesh brought his gun up and provided cover against the guys dug in behind the barriers. He noticed that Sequoia had gone prone and was aiming. She had made herself flat like a rug and every muscle was tensed and focused on the targets she was aiming at. Not even when a stray shot dented the ground nearby deterred her concentration. “Any moment now, Hawk.”

“Working on it,” Sequoia replied as she aimed down her sights. She wanted to take out the RPG gunner first. She muttered to herself, “Come on you son of a bitch.” She caught him and hit him. It was then that she noticed the movement. She shouted to Hesh, “Take out the other one now! There on the catwalk!”

Hesh was quick to follow through while Sequoia moved to take out another that popped out of the woodwork. She got to her knees and into a squatting position so she could get to her feet quickly. She moved to take cover when the shower of gunfire occurred and hit their wall sending chunks of debris everywhere. She found herself being grabbed and pressed against Hesh’s body and the wall and she could actually feel his heart pounding in his chest.

It subsided when Logan moved up and took out what they couldn’t see, allowing them to move up to the next room. It was then that Hesh released her and took position on her flank. Instinctively he knew that if he tried to take point with the air of protecting her, he would end up worse than on her bad side. Besides he had seen her in a fight and she knew what she was doing but he wondered if she was a bit reckless at times.

They pushed forward and it seemed to be a natural thing with Sequoia taking point and Hesh and Logan covering the flank and picking off the ones that she didn’t or couldn’t see. Hesh recalled that moment in the trenches when she and her friend passed him and Logan in the trenches like a tank and they did it with practiced ease. Now it seemed like they were modifying that since he and Logan were covering the left and right flanks and almost leaving Keegan and Merrick in the dust.

Keegan was amused and teased, “What’s you’re hurry Hawk?”

_I’m always in a hurry. This is slow._

Merrick rolled his eyes at that and said, “Then pick up the pace.”

_Then keep up old man._

It was sign that things had improved in the relationship between Merrick and Sequoia by his allowing her to call him an old man. It also helped that Keegan was there to temper things and they were in the middle of a firefight. Merrick replied, “You try and keep up kid.”

They pushed their way forward until they came to a maze of storage sized rooms and that left enough room to be blindsided if they weren’t careful. Hesh stayed with Sequoia on one side while Logan took the other. Logan thought it amusing the way how they pulled each other out of the way of getting hit by enemy fire and still they managed to be asses with each other. As far as he knew, no one drove his brother that crazy and Hesh would normally have walked away by now. He was curious to see where it went since he was sure that Sequoia would have done the same.

They got bogged down with the Fed dug in and it was a sign that they were getting closer to where they needed to go. Logan took the initiative and took a back way around where he could clear out the Feds that were hidden and could easily ambush the team if they moved up too soon. It did the trick and they were able to move up more. The storage containers were a bitch since the ricochet was highly likely as Logan and Sequoia went up to check the upper levels.

_You’ve got enemy ordinance outside your building. We’re engaging. Danger close. Repeat, danger close._

Everyone took cover as the Apache’s took out the enemy ordinance. Hesh pulled Sequoia close towards him when the missiles hit. There was a reason why it was called danger close.

_Clear. You’re good to go._

“Come on,” Hesh said as he gave Sequoia a hand up.

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” she replied as she brushed past him and followed Merrick and Keegan up the stairs to the next level. She glanced back and said, “You should keep up, sir.”

Hesh rolled his eyes slightly and Logan managed to say, “She’s just giving you respect bro.”

Hesh made a sound. He wasn’t stupid since he had noticed it. He just didn’t need to be reminded of it. He followed Sequoia up to the next level and they pushed forward like before.

“He’s just past those doors,” Merrick shouted. He motioned for them to take position while Keegan prepared to open the door with a kick.

They filed in and Hesh shouted, “On the ground! Now!”

Rorke looked at them like he was expecting them and it had Sequoia feel immediately uneasy. She eyed their target and held her weapon pointed at him to indicate that she would shoot if he moved while Rorke drawled, “You boys sure know how to make an entrance.”

Merrick spat back, “Shut up!” He threw a punch for good measure, mostly because he was still feeling sore about Ajax. He then threw Rorke around.

Sequoia for the most part turned her back and called it in, “Pirate, this is Ghost Six-Five. Urchin secure. Moving to extraction point now.” She moved when she heard glass breaking and went to observe that Merrick had thrown the man out the window and onto the roof. He looked really pissed and was taking it out on the prisoner.

“Scarecrow, this is Six-One. We have him,” Merrick said placing his boot on Rorke’s chest while Logan covered.

_Roger that. Outlaw will bring you to the RV. We need to be mobile in thirty mikes._

The group rounded on Rorke to prepare for exfil. Rorke was a little winded from being thrown around but that didn’t stop him from talking, “Getting a little slow there.” His eye lighted on Sequoias even though she was turned away and said, “Now I see. I wondered who you were. Same posture and demeanor… It is like seeing a ghost.”

Merrick punched Rorke across the face, “Shut up!”

“What? This should be familiar. It’s like having Charlie all over again. I look forward to it,” Rorke grinned as he leered at Sequoia. “Only prettier.”

Sequoia blinked impassively as she glanced at Rorke. She said nothing but gave a hard look. There was no point to hiding that she was a girl since her hair gave her away. Her face paint hid her features. Still it was easy to tell she was a woman. She turned to give cover while they waited for Outlaw to take them to the RV and ended up brushing Hesh on the shoulder who looked at her with silent concern.


	9. Chapter 9

_There are ancient tribes, deep in the Amazon, who have perfected the art of torture over hundreds of years. The Federation embraced this heritage, enhancing it with more sophisticated methods._

_They kept Rorke in a hole for months… feeding him food mixed with the poisons of exotic plants. As they broke down his body, they went to work on his mind. When his mind broke, they went to work on his soul._

_They rebuilt what was left, twisting him to their purposes. The process was excruciating and exacting. Rorke was their Ghost now. The perfect weapon to use against us._

Sequoia blinked as she studied the work being done on Rorke. She had been quiet the entire time they were doing exfil. She hated the idea that this man thought he knew her father. She hated the overly familiar way he spoke about him and she hated the way that he looked at her. She could tell the wheels were turning as he tried to figure out exactly who she was. She was not going to play that game and give in and talk to the man. She ignored him.

“So quiet. Contemplating on the best method to use on me?” Rorke looked at Sequoia with a pleased grin. “Charlie didn’t need quiet. He just turned it on. You should follow him better. That is what they brought you here for isn’t it?”

“Shut up,” Merrick said.

“I bet that is what it is. Always dragging Charlie along and watching him work. I doubt this little girl could do it.” He laughed a bit and added, “Only one person I know who can stare like that and she was scarier than Charlie.”

Sequoia gave a hard stare and turned away at the moment Merrick started punching Rorke. She took a couple of steps away and felt the rumble of the plane beneath her feet. She was unaware that Hesh had followed in a casual way until he asked, “Are you okay?”

Sequoia looked at Hesh from her musings. With the camo paint cleared from his face, she could see how handsome he looked. That thought alone snapped her out of her musings about standing in the general vicinity of the man who aimed to make Elias and the Ghosts suffer for what happened twelve years ago. She kept her composure and replied, “No. I’m pissed.”

Hesh studied her and found that when she wasn’t scowling at him or being impassive, she looked pretty. It was an inappropriate thought for the moment and he was glad that the conversation made that clear. He replied, “He’s got us all pissed.”

“He knows nothing of Charles Williams,” Sequoia replied with a firm look. Her hand pointed at Rorke. She had said it forcefully and full of venom that it was enough to make Hesh take a step back. She realized what she did and composed herself and repeated herself but more quietly, “He knows nothing of Charles Williams.” She turned to walk back and watch the proceedings.

Hesh paused a moment. It wasn’t the time or the place to get into details. It did strike him that she mentioned Charles Williams. It was obvious she knew him and they could be related since they had the same surname. She also thought highly of the man and no wonder it irked her. He had been stunned when she snapped and looked ready to march over and put a knife into Rorke when she spoke harshly towards him. He knew she wasn’t angry with him and was prepared to go with it. She did apologize in her own way by repeating it in a gentler tone. It had him blink and watch her walk away in silence. She was a total enigma to him and he was intrigued to learn more.

At that point Elias told Merrick to stop punching Rorke and was looking at their prisoner. Elias looked at Rorke, “What have they done to you?”

“The same thing you did. They set me free.” Rorke glanced over at Sequoia. He knew he had gotten to her on some level. It was damn hard to tell but he knew he got her. He added, “And Charlie was already free. We saw it.”

Another punch came but this time from Logan. He knew that Charles Williams was his friend’s father and he did what he did. He had watched how it affected her even though she didn’t show it much. It pissed him off like it did when someone tried to mess with Hesh.

Elias felt his jaw tighten. He knew Rorke would find a way to twist things. He also knew that he would pick up on the similarities between his friend and Sequoia and try to bait her. She was holding up so far but she looked ready to have a go. At least she seemed to have calmed down a little after Hesh talked to her. Looking at Rorke after waving Logan off he said, “You taught me a long time ago- Ghosts don’t break. Now I’m going to ask you one more time…”

“Everyone breaks Elias,” Rorke replied looking annoyed, “Why don’t you ask your buddy Ajax… well... if he were still with us.” He gave a sly grin at that.

Sequoia narrowed her eyes at the man. She waited until Elias brushed past her and Hesh, Hesh took the brunt of it, and lunged forward and got into Rorke’s face. Her face was inches from Rorke’s as she stared at him in the face. She took in the man’s countenance and met his gaze.

“Oh ho. Gonna try to ‘read’ me? That didn’t do shit,” Rorke chuckled. It was a weak one since he was looking at the girl in front of him and she was stone cold. He narrowed his eyes and taunted, “You don’t have it in you.”

Sequoia looked at Rorke and said, “You were weak.” She said it slowly and deliberately. She straightened up and looked down at Rorke with contempt. “Pathetic. The Federation picked the weakest because it was easy to turn him. Only defines what they are…”

“Bring his chair,” Elias was saying as he tapping into the door controls. He hadn’t noticed how Sequoia jumped in until he saw her almost lope beside Rorke.

“Hey, you think you know everything princess?”

Sequoia ignored Rorke except to give a look like a parent humoring a child. She said something in the language of her people and moved aside to let Hesh and Logan grab the chair. She walked over to where Elias was and said, “Bring that bastard over here.”

It sounded like an order but neither Hesh or Logan or anyone else on board would quibble over it. For the elder members of the Ghosts, it was like seeing history almost repeat itself. It was different in other ways with regards to how the daughter of a friend conducted herself. For Hesh and Logan it was more of a visual confirmation of the rumors they had heard about Echo Three. They were silent as they dragged the chair over.

“So this is how it ends, Elias?” Rorke threw the question over his shoulder towards his old subordinate. “You going to throw me out of this plane? Or are you going to let little Charlie here do it? She’s got the balls.”

Elias put a hand on Sequoia to indicate she was to stay put. He walked towards the man and said, “You’re going to tell me all about that dig site in San Diego.”

Rorke got a look at Elias. He wouldn’t grace him with an answer, “What? You going to drop me Lieutenant? Again?”

“I might,” Sequoia said forcing Rorke to look at her. She took in the scar over his left eye. “Just for the fun of it,” she added with a straight face.

Elias waved Sequoia off and demanded, “Answer me Rorke!”

Rorke gave a grin, “You really think you’re going to break me Elias? Bring it on! Come on! Here I am!”

Elias jumped in, pushing Hesh aside and Logan took a step back. He grabbed Rorke by the shoulders and pushed him into the floor of the plane. He stared down at Rorke and said, “It’s over Rorke. We beat you!”

“You haven’t beaten me Elias… You just made my job a hell of a lot easier,” Rorke replied and a slow smile came over his face.

Sequoia had been standing by the door controls when Rorke said that. That uneasy feeling she got when they captured him came back and she looked out the bay doors. She heard it before she saw the massive plane come up flanked by two fighters. “Back! Get back!”

The lines hooked onto their plane and it started to shake. Sequoia was thrown momentarily off balance but she steadied herself and reached for her tomahawk just as Logan pulled his pistol. She scrambled to the first line and swung to cut it free. There were still three lines to cut and Logan was shooting at the plane. She charged for the other line and thought she heard her name being called but ignored it.

The sudden shake and the sudden drop had her falling. It took her a moment to realize that the plane had been ripped in half by the lines. She reached out and grabbed the railing with her arms. She held on long enough to put her tomahawk back on her belt and adjust her grip when she noticed Logan was hanging on next to her. Looking up she saw Rorke coming down at them and landing like it was the ground. Given the angle of the piece they were on, it would seem like it.

Rorke looked down at the both of them. He looked first at Logan. There was something about the kid he liked. He had observed his reaction to things and had a couple of ideas. He looked at Logan and said, “If you make it out of this kid, come find me!”

“Fuck you,” Logan spat as he held on. He adjusted his grip while trying not to swing too much or he would lose it.

Rorke chuckled and looked at Sequoia. He was smiling big and said, “The same goes to you little Charlie. I would love having you around. Makes my blood tingle.” He chuckled as his men dropped down. He secured himself to the retrieval man and gave a perfunctory wave. “There’s always room for one more.”

Sequoia would have liked nothing more than to punch Rorke in the face… or at least throw a knife at him. As it were she couldn’t and watched as he escaped. The sudden movement jolted that part of the plane and she lost her grip followed by Logan and they fell out the other end. The wind was whipping in their faces as they free fell through debris from the plane.

 _Now I know what it means to be a bumper car_ , Sequoia thought to herself as she tried to avoid the major pieces before deploying the chute. She used her body to turn and almost hit Logan. Instead she grabbed his hand so they could land together.

Logan didn’t fight her and nodded. They pulled each other out of the way until he signaled the deployment of the chutes. He pulled his chute and he heard the sound of it being deployed… just as he hurtled into a piece of debris. He hit it face first and grunted and was dazed.

Sequoia saw Logan hit the piece of plane and shouted, “Logan!”

She watched as Logan almost spun as his chute finished deploying. He was lucky that his lines didn’t get tangled but his body got beat up pretty good. She couldn’t do anything about it since she had to pull hers. It didn’t help that she hit part of the plane herself on her side and bounced off it. She almost did a side flip from the force of it but her chute deploying managed to save her and her lines didn’t tangle.

It was certainly not her day when she saw the trees come at her with full throttle. Her rate of descent was still too fast even though the chute provided the drag to slow it down. She heard branches snap as she fell. She hit a branch she was sure of it and she tilted sideways much like when she was higher up. A branch hit her in the face as the backs of her thighs hit a branch and she fell backwards. Her chute slowed her down as it snagged on the trees but she still hit hard.

She came to a stop when she hit the last branch and fell forward and landed in the soft dirt of the jungle. She landed with a thud and felt completely winded and sore all over. There was only the slight fluttering of her chute landing in tatters around her. She lifted her head and looked around where she had landed. Giving a slight eye roll she blew out a puff of air and watched the loose locks of her hair fly up. She sighed and slowly got up saying, “And here I was thinking the worst part was the damn plane.”

****

_Logan?_

_I saw him get snagged on some trees before we landed._

_Hawk?_

_Negative. Didn’t see anything._

_I thought I saw her get snagged in the same area as Logan._

_Logan, Hawk, if you can hear me, try to find the crash site. We’re just up the hill. Stay low and quiet and you’ll find us._

Logan stumbled a bit as he paused to take stock of his surroundings and pull out his knife and pistol. He felt like shit and his head hurt. His whole body hurt. He could see the scratches on his hands that were already red from the abrasions and the blood from the scratches. He had a sore spot above his left eye that felt like someone clobbered him. There were leaves stuck to his clothes and hair from his fall. And on top of that Rorke decided he liked him and his friend. It just was one of those days.

The best thing to do was to climb up the hill and find the others. His comm was smashed so he couldn’t respond and that just sucked royally since he could only receive. It sounded like Sequoia’s comm was down too and no one was able to clearly say where she landed. That had him wondering if she was okay. He didn’t doubt she could survive or anything like that but if she was seriously hurt…

Hoping that she had heard the message from Elias, Logan ambled forward. He was sore all over but he kept moving and held his weapons at the ready. Since his brother reported being attacked, he looked on her person for his heartbeat sensor. He checked it out to make sure that it wasn’t broken and strapped it to his wrist. It certainly would let him know if there was anything but a friendly nearby.

Wincing from the sore spot on his face, Logan checked to make sure it was working and started making his way up the hill to where the others were. He took it slow to check his surroundings. While he and Hesh grew up camping in the wilderness, you still had to respect it since there were dangers. No matter how experienced you were, you could still get in over your head.

He continued along and paused when he heard Hesh asking about what was happening and his dad saying it was a tremor. He rolled his eyes slightly since that was fucking obvious. They were in the Yucatan and the area had stories of ancient tribes talking about the tremors that were references to earthquakes. No surprise there. _And there I go being the nerd… again._

He started forward again and checked his sensor. He noticed a signal and paused. It definitely wasn’t a friendly and he was alone. That meant he could sneak up and knife him. That also meant a bigger gun to pick up since he lost his when he fell out of the plane. So Logan made his way towards the lone figure, and within a few short minutes, he had a rifle and a dead Fed at his feet. He checked the rifle and slung it over his shoulder. It was better to do a sneak attack.

_These guys are getting close. We’re gonna have to engage._

_Left side! Left side! Merrick!_

_Hesh? Hesh?!_

Logan swallowed. His brother and Merrick were probably in trouble. Every fiber of his being wanted to run and go help his brother. It was that same urge that he caved into when they were kids. Usually it was Hesh protecting him but if he perceived his older brother to be threatened, he let them have it. Most of the kids wised up by the time they were in high school about the Walker boys and how they dealt with things.

Controlling his urge, Logan moved forward and picked up another hostile. He moved in to take them out. He was startled when something dropped from the trees and right on top of the hostile. He recognized it as Sequoia and she deftly broke the Fed’s neck. He caught up to her and said, “I’m glad to see you Hawk.”

“Good to see you,” Sequoia replied. She took a look at Logan and said, “You look like shit.”

“Look who’s talking,” Logan retorted in a whisper.

Sequoia shrugged her shoulders and tried not to wince too much. She had a cut just below her right eye and a red abrasion on her left brow from colliding with the branches. She had a laceration that was going to need stitches on her right side above her hips. There were also scratches on her hands that were clotting now and she had dirt clinging to her uniform and the loose locks of her hair looked stringy and her face was covered in dirt. She nodded, “Yeah I’m washed out.”

“Call it even,” Logan offered since he knew his appearance wasn’t that good either. He probably had a couple of bruised ribs and bruises all over his body as well. “Where did you come from? I couldn’t even pick you up.”

Sequoia took a breath and let out a chuckle, “Thing like that doesn’t look up.” She sighed as she picked up the rifle the Fed was carrying. “Elias said that the crash site was up the hill… and I heard that Hesh may be in trouble.”

Logan didn’t say anything about the way she said his brother’s name. He knew that she was being a hard ass on purpose with him and for reasons that only she could answer though Logan suspected that she liked his brother and the feeling was mutual. The safe way was to just be a couple of stubborn asses about it. He sighed and replied, “I heard too. Took a lot not to break into a run.”

“Tell me about it,” Sequoia replied as she lifted the rifle and started forward. She didn’t realize that she had revealed how she felt when she assumed the worst. “Let’s go.”

_They’re moving through the plane wreckage. Try to move around them._

Sequoia and Logan had found the crash site. Now it was just a matter of regrouping with the others. Sequoia took point and stayed low, moving quietly and barely stirring up anything. She occasionally would glance back to make sure that Logan was still with her. He kept up and together they rounded the area, avoiding being seen by the Feds all over the place.

_Logan, Hawk, we can see you on the tracker. You’re almost to us._

It was enough to spur them to hurry. Sequoia decided to double back and check their flank. She hand signaled Logan to move forward and went to check it out. Logan kept going, trusting that she would be all right.

Keegan was the first to spot him when he found the group, “Nice work. Kid’s good Elias.”

“Good work son. I knew you’d do it,” Elias said sparing a proud smile for his son. “Where’s Hawk? I’m not picking her up on the tracker.”

“She went to check out the flank,” Logan offered. It did seem silly now thinking about her decision. It had him wondering what she was doing and apparently it had Elias thoughtful about it as well. They couldn’t waste any more time since Hesh and Merrick needed help. So they continued.

_Hesh, we see you. When this goes loud… stay low. Logan, do it._

Before Logan could pull off a shot something flew towards the Fed that was holding Hesh coming off the large boulder. It was Sequoia. Logan wasted no time in picking off the others that could have gotten to her while she took out the ones closest to Merrick and Hesh. One was too far though and Logan had to move up but it was unnecessary.

Sequoia had told Logan she was doubling back but in truth she wanted to scout ahead and try to ascertain the situation with Merrick and Hesh. While it sounded cowboyish of her to do that, and probably was, she just wanted to make sure that they were okay since the sounds over the comms weren’t encouraging. She found them and when she heard Elias give the word, she jumped down and took out the ones closest to her with her Desert Eagle while Logan covered her six. There was one that was out of Logan’s sight. It was automatic to pull her tomahawk and she threw it where it lodged in the chest of the Fed and he was down.

“Nice work Hawk,” Elias said as she went to retrieve her weapon. “You boys good to go? Mako’s picking us up two klicks from here.” He paused when he felt the tremor and looked back at the group. “Let’s not make ourselves an easy target. We move quiet and quick and we’ll make it home safe. Let’s go.”

It was automatic that Hesh teamed up with Sequoia to take point. They jogged up the stream staying low to avoid the patrols that the Fed were sending their way. He glanced at her as she was watching the supply drop and said, “You okay?”

“I fell out of a tree. I’m good.”

Hesh raised his brow at the response. He noticed that when she shifted she winced slightly and that was when he noticed the patch of red on her uniform. He tried not to jump to conclusions since he was spotting a few sore spots himself from the crash. He did admire that she was doing her best to not let on and toughening it out but he also found himself wanting her to not keep things from them if they were serious.

_There’s more coming our way._

“We can use the waterfall to hide until they pass,” Hesh offered staying with Sequoia as they continued to jog upstream.

_Do it._

It was like playing a game of hide and go seek as they waited until the patrol passed. Sequoia almost wished that there weren’t Feds all over the place. The Yucatan was a beautiful place and looked peaceful. She could hear the birds of the area. It was a pity that such things had to be taken away in the ‘awful hell of war’ but that was how things went.

_Keep it up. We’re almost to the river… just a little further._

That was a relief to hear and it seemed that Sequoia’s body decided to try and quit early. She stumbled a bit but was held up and steady by Hesh. She stood up and steadied her feet and saw the concern in his expression and then noticed that he was looking at her side. She looked down and saw the red and shook her head slightly, “It’s just a cut, easily stitched.”

Hesh wasn’t convinced but this was hardly the time or the place to argue. He nodded, “Come on. Stay with me.”

Sequoia nodded and followed Hesh. Her muscles tensed when they had to flank a large patrol of Feds. While it would have simple to just shoot them, they needed to stay quiet and they did and got to the grasslands where she felt most at home. As a Sioux, she grew up in the Black Hills and they were mostly prairies out there. Here there were helis flying around but she could stay hidden and she moved faster than Elias and was followed by Hesh.

_Mako Actual this is Ghost Six-Three. We’re at the river and…_

The rumble they had been feeling since they crashed got their attention. Looking up at the sky there was a missile being launched. Sequoia looked at it and knew that it could mean trouble. They had to move and Elias gave the order.

_Stalker, we’ve got missiles in the air. Timeline is running thin, what’s your location?_

“One minute, Mako. We’re almost there!” Hesh turned to see Sequoia looking like she was barely able to keep up. He tugged gently on her uniform sleeve to get her to keep up. She responded and kept up with him all the way to the waterfall and they both jumped.


	10. Chapter 10

_Everyone jump!_

Sequoia put an extra spurt into her legs and ran dead even with Hesh. They ran towards the edge of the waterfall and pushed off from the edge. Her feet kicked to give momentum and then she straightened them as she descended while crossing her arms over her chest to absorb the impact. She hit the cold water and was enveloped in watery darkness.

Hesh felt like he might have touched the bottom as he splashed into the pool below. He flailed his arms and started moving his legs to kick to the surface. It felt like his breath had been taken away because of the height of the drop. Still he moved and swam for the surface breaking it to take a gulp of air.

_Approaching extraction point now, Actual._

Hesh looked around. He could see Merrick and Keegan climbing into one boat along with Elias. Logan was climbing into the one with Riley who was looking pleased to see them. That just left… he looked around for Sequoia. “Hawk?”

She broke the surface on her own but she couldn’t keep her head above the water. Her nose and eyes were above but her mouth was in the water and she looked ready to sink as she started swimming slowly towards the boat.

Hesh clicked his tongue and with a speed he didn’t have before, made it over to Sequoia and put an arm around her waist. He teased since he figured it would get a response, “You quitting on me now?”

“Fuck you Hesh,” she replied as she continued to swim but still allowing him to help her and he actually grinned a little.

It felt like it was slow but they managed to make it to the boat and Hesh steadied her as Logan pulled her up. He followed by heaving himself over the edge and rolled in. He felt like he had gained weight even though the gear weighed the same; it was the water soaked clothing that weighed him down a bit. He was still lying on the deck when the order was given to move and taking in gulps of air glad to be out of the water.

“You look like a fish.”

Hesh turned to see Sequoia looking at him with a sort of amused look as she leaned against the edge. Logan was scratching Riley’s ears and getting a lick for his trouble. Hesh moved over towards her and replied, “And you don’t?”

Sequoia shrugged her shoulders and leaned back. She closed her eyes even though there was the potential to get into a gunfight. She said, “It was a compliment.”

Logan was chuckling as he reached for the rifle he had commandeered and checked it. He looked at Hesh who had taken a seat next to Sequoia who was still stretched out. Her commandeered rifle was within easy reach and her tomahawk was on her belt. She looked like she was going to sleep the whole way in. Logan looked at Riley and scratched his ear, “Looks like someone is taking it easy huh boy?”

Riley made a slight whine and licked Logan. He was rewarded with a head rub and he took position near Logan. Logan adjusted his position to return fire just in case. He wasn’t exactly lounging in the boat but his position did allow for him to take cover if they needed to engage.

Hesh looked at Sequoia as he sat by her on her left. The red spot on her right had him concerned and he made a note to make sure she saw the medic when they got to base. As of now she looked like she was going to sun herself on a beach; she was relaxed and comfortable. “Are you going to sleep?”

“Why not?”

“No reason just…”

Sequoia popped open an eye and noted that Hesh was looking at her. She replied, “I’m used to it since I ate, slept and did everything in the trenches. Wall sweeps were a relief.” She closed her eyes and took in the sun warming her face. “You should relax yourself.”

Hesh looked at her and then turned to look at the shoreline of the river. He leaned against the edge to observe while occasionally glancing back at Sequoia. He got the feeling that she was using it to make it seem like she was okay when she was not. He and his brother both looked like shit since they hit the trees and they all were a little banged up. He was concerned since she readily listened to him and stayed with him all the way to the river and even allowed him to help her get to the boats.

It was a lengthy trip and it was no surprise to Logan that Hesh let his guard down enough to let Sequoia lean against him. She actually looked like she was asleep leaning against Hesh in a way that was probably uncomfortable for his brother but he didn’t seem to mind. Logan merely smirked as he relaxed with Riley and petted the dog. He was reluctant to have it end when they docked and as it turned out there was no need for an ‘alarm clock’.

Hesh didn’t mind having Sequoia leaning against him. While the position looked uncomfortable for either of them, it felt comfortable. She was on his hip since he was leaning against the edge and keeping an eye out. He thought it would be more uncomfortable to her but she kept her eyes closed throughout the whole trip but he did notice her forefinger tap her gun. So maybe…

They arrived and Hesh twisted and gave a tap to Sequoia’s shoulder. Her eyes opened rather quickly but he was glad she didn’t try to hit him. Having learned she could pack a punch where it counted. She took a look around and was sitting up and ready to go. The disappearance of the weight on his hip was felt and he was sorry that it was gone. He was able to give her a hand up since she seemed worse off than Logan and was just there to offer a hand getting off the boat and getting checked out.

“You don’t have to tail me. I’m good, sir,” Sequoia said.

It wasn’t rude but Hesh was well aware that she had gone back to being formal with him. It was effective in getting him to pause and she left him in the hall as she went to the infirmary. He ended up staring in the direction she had gone until Logan mentioned, “You should get checked out too.”

“I’m good.”

“Right,” Logan said and then gave a playful poke at his brother’s side. The sudden wincing confirmed that his brother was hiding an injury. “Come on, Hesh.”

“I’m fine, Logan. Leave it,” Hesh brushed off his brother. “If anything you’re the one that needs to get checked out.”

“I got stuck in a tree. Hawk fell out of a tree and I know you hit something on the way out of the plane,” Logan countered. He frowned and asked, “What’s the big deal? She didn’t hit you for helping her and that is an improvement.”

Hesh growled slightly as he walked with his brother to the infirmary. “And I’m still on her bad side according to you,” he muttered.

“What do ya mean?”

Hesh looked at Logan and saw that he was being stupid on purpose. He gave a brotherly punch that was a bit harder than necessary. “You know what I mean, stupid.”

“Maybe,” Logan replied with a chuckle and his own punch.

They had reached the infirmary and were instructed to wait. It was fine anyway since their injuries weren’t exactly life threatening. It certainly wasn’t boring when they heard Sequoia telling the doc to just stitch her up and to stop poking her before she dealt him the business end of an ass kicking. It had Logan chuckling and Hesh wanted to laugh since her ire was not directed at him this time around. She emerged about ten minutes later pulling down her shirt to cover the white gauze bandage and looking annoyed that she even bothered. She saw Hesh waiting since Logan was already taken back and getting a look over and said, “You should run before they get to you.”

Hesh noticed the bruises before she hid them with her shirt. It looked like she got pretty banged up on the way down and he couldn’t imagine what Logan had. He shrugged his shoulders and tried not to wince, “Nothing to worry about.”

Sequoia had noticed the wince and was quickly over by his side. “How bad?”

“What?”

“How bad?” Sequoia pointed at Hesh’s torso. She gave a pointed look that would brook no nonsense from him if he tried to play it tough.

“Nothing serious. I was just here for Logan,” Hesh countered. He looked her in the eye and he saw that she wasn’t buying it.

“Logan I get since he fell out of a tree with me,” Sequoia replied. She put her hands on her hips and was prepared to manhandle Hesh if it called for it. “Something happen on the way down or…?”

Hesh couldn’t help but chuckle. He felt like he was getting scolded by his mother again when he was little. It didn’t last since the expression was a serious one. He shrugged it off, “Maybe something on the plane. You look like you got the worst of it.”

“Not talking about me,” Sequoia replied with a shake of her head. “Where exactly?”

Hesh knew what she was asking. He would rather wait for the medic but the look on her face was insistent. Making a noise he lifted his left arm motioned in the general direction where it was sore. He didn’t expect the touch to be gentle and it surprised him like every other thing that he hadn’t heard about her at Fort Santa Monica. She didn’t poke but gently pressed all around until she found the sore spot and let out a low grunt.

“Bruised ribs… I think,” Sequoia allowed as she finished pressing against his ribs. She stood back and folded her hands. She felt her throat convulse slightly and she felt confused since that hadn’t happened before. She was saved when the medic came to check on Hesh and she waited quietly… also a first.

A similar assessment later had Hesh in and out and Sequoia waiting where she had stayed while being examined. He raised his brow at her and asked, “How’d you know? About the ribs?”

Sequoia studied Hesh as he came out rubbing his sore ribs. “Had the same problem myself about a year ago,” she replied in a matter of fact tone. “I have something for the ache that will probably work better than what these guys say. Come on.” She motioned for Hesh to follow and left the infirmary.

Hesh didn’t follow until she poked her head through the door and asked, “You need a special invitation, sir?”

The use of ‘sir’ alone was enough to prompt Hesh to follow. He didn’t get why she was formal and stiff with occasionally toeing the line with him. Hell she was much more open with Merrick and he was technically more senior than he was. He didn’t get it and it had him thinking as he followed Sequoia to where her gear was stashed. He almost was beaned when a small container was tossed at him but he caught it. “What is this?”

Sequoia turned to look at Hesh with non-expressive look. It was almost bland but not quite. It hid her confusion at what happened in the infirmary. She explained, “An old recipe that works on bruises.”

“I’d think you’d need it.” Hesh examined the container and noticed that there was no label on the thing.

Sequoia raised her brow at Hesh. She knew she may have exposed how bad her torso looked with the bruises from literally falling out of the tree but she had no idea that Hesh had been looking. It actually sent a thrill down her spine. She decided to call him out on it, “And what makes you think that?”

Hesh realized that he may have let on more than he intended and tried to cover, “You said it yourself. You fell out of a tree.”

“I’ve fallen out of trees on purpose more times than I can count. Nothing happened worse than a scratch yet.” She gave him a look daring him to try again.

Hesh realized she wasn’t going to buy any excuse he gave. He held the container in his hand and thought for a moment and then said, “Just a thought. Thanks though.”

“Think nothing of it. Just remember to put it on twice a day: once in the morning and once at night.” She gave a nod and closed her door in Hesh’s face leaving him wondering why he was even bothering. It probably was rude but she didn’t want to imply anything that could be taken the wrong way. She was just helping him out. She couldn’t forget though that he helped her and stayed by her while trekking through the jungle and his attempts at being nice when they dealt with Rorke.

****

“Dude, what the hell are you wearing?” Logan wrinkled his nose at the smell he picked up as his brother came into the common area. “You stink.”

Hesh couldn’t smell anything but then again Logan always had a sensitive sniffer. If he said he stunk, then it was probably true. It certainly helped when Riley needed a bath. “What do you mean?”

“I smell something but I don’t know what.” Logan sat up on the couch that he had been occupying. Even though the smell was not one he was used to, he let Hesh sit next to him. He watched with a wary eye at the careful motions Hesh was using to sit. “Doesn’t smell like the infirmary. And it is possible for a place to smell like it was sick with vomit.”

“And I just had lunch,” Hesh joked. He actually could smell it now and he had hoped that by walking around it would dissipate but it seemed that wasn’t to be the case. He had taken a whiff of the stuff when he opened the container and had come to the conclusion that it didn’t smell that bad. He put it on and it did feel good against his ribs.

Logan glanced at his brother and rubbed his hand that had a nasty abrasion that ran between his knuckled on his left. They used adhesive on the deeper parts but it was still sore. He said, “Still you stink.”

“Hawk gave it to me,” Hesh admitted. He put his right over where his bruised ribs were. Her touch actually lingered and it was… it was like it was supposed to stay. He hid the feeling by explaining, “She said that it would help.”

“Ribs?”

“Yeah.”

Logan grinned deciding to let his brother have it, “Well… smells nice.”

Hesh looked at his brother and realized Logan had played him. Yeah the stuff smelled but it was a nice one. It was just unusual. He narrowed his eyes at Logan and gave him a punch, “You ass.”

Logan chuckled and managed to avoid the punch. “Come on Hesh,” he said as he ducked the cushion that flew at him. He saw his brother wince trying to move to grab another cushion. “Hey you better watch it.”

“Shut up,” Hesh replied as he managed to grab another cushion and hurl it at Logan. It hit its mark and it made the pain worth it. “That’s for being a pain in the ass.”

“My job, big bro.” Logan grinned as he picked up the cushions. It was tempting to throw them at Hesh but considering that he did have bruised ribs, he could be nice. They both had similar injuries before when they were in training but he knew his brother. When he winced, that meant they hurt a lot more and maybe there was a little more extensive injuries. “It does smell nice. She gave it to you?”

“Yep and shut the door in my face. What did I do her?” Hesh looked at Logan who had gotten back onto the couch.

Logan shrugged his shoulders. He had some ideas but the best thing to do was for Hesh to talk to her. Trouble was he wasn’t going to do it without some prodding. Hesh had never been this way with the girls he used to date in high school; Hawk was different. He replied, “Can’t say except the way your first conversation went.”

Hesh shook his head, “One minute ignores me and the next she pays attention and she only called me by name twice.”

“Could be an improvement,” Logan offered. “At least she called you by name and watched your back.”

“But that was during a mission. Doesn’t count.”

“She could’ve made it miserable for you,” Logan pointed out. It looked like Hesh was going to town on trying to get out of talking to her. He wasn’t going to get off so easily. “She did go after the Fed aiming for you.”

“More likely to remind me she could have left my ass in the breeze.”

“Come on, you don’t believe that do you?” Logan looked at his brother to catch his eye. When he did, he continued, “Look, bro, just talk to her.”

“And how can I do that when she calls me sir ever other breath.”

“Ask her why. I don’t know. It’s a thing or something.” Logan shrugged his shoulders like he had no clue. He didn’t really and was offering anything but he was forcing the issue onto Hesh to do something about it. “Ask her. You are capable of being in the same room without killing each other and her not kicking you.”

“You would have hurt her.”

“She had it covered and that’s beside the point.” Logan stood up with a sudden urge for coffee. “You better talk to her cause I ain’t doing it and I know you’re not scared of a girl.” He grinned the moment he caught Hesh’s gaze. “Or she scares the crap out of you.”

Hesh narrowed his eyes at Logan. He knew now full well that Logan had orchestrated it to get him to the point where he wouldn’t let his pride suffer. He used to do the same thing when Logan said he was too scared to do something when they were doing their training. Now little brother was turning the tables on him. He stood up as quickly as his injuries would let him and he stared at his brother. “I’m not scared.”

“Prove it then, Hesh. Ask her,” Logan taunted. It was probably mean but he knew that his friend wouldn’t hurt his brother. Maybe she might kick his ass in a sparring match but she wouldn’t do anything to injure or maim him. “Go on. Prove it.”

Hesh shot a nasty look at his brother, “Fine. I will.” He turned to leave the room. “I’m not scared of her.”

“Good luck,” Logan replied with a chuckle.

Hesh knew that he was playing into his brother’s game but deep down he knew that his questions wouldn’t be answered unless he did talk to her. The hard part was getting her to say anything beyond short sentences. He really did want to know why she treated him differently from everyone. He knocked on her door and found that no one was there and that meant a search and come to think of it, he hadn’t seen Riley since they got there.

It was a long and tedious search but Hesh finally managed to find Sequoia. He had an idea where she might be but he wanted to make sure he didn’t miss her. Riley was with her and was listening to her… singing.

Her back was to him so that gave him an advantage but… that could easily backfire on him. Riley was lying down beside her and his head was in her lap. She was sitting cross legged and looking comfortable with it even though she had been stitched up not too long ago. He approached slowly so as not to startle her and was sorry when she stopped singing to acknowledge his presence. He said, “Please, don’t stop.”

Sequoia looked at Hesh as he sat down beside her. He motioned for her to continue. After a moment she turned to face forward and started singing again where she had left off. Her hands absently pet Riley while she finished. The last of the notes seemed to linger even though the day was starting to wither into night. She looked at Hesh and asked, “Is there something that you need?”

“No just… seeing how you were doing,” Hesh replied well aware that if Logan were around, he would be laughing his head off.

Sequoia blinked and frowned at that. It had been noticed by Hesh but it was gone before he could ask about it. She replied, “I’m fine. Just… sitting.” She paused a moment and then asked, “Ribs okay?”

“Yeah. Fine. That stuff works pretty good.” Hesh looked at Sequoia. This was not what he was thinking of but he had to start somewhere and he would tell Logan to shut up if her were there. “That was a nice song. It sounded sad.” He made a slight face since he didn’t know what else to say.

Sequoia looked at Hesh. She knew he was trying to strike up a conversation and she really couldn’t be rude about it. She answered softly, “Because it is. I didn’t have a chance to say good bye to Carol… or observe my team’s death. It’s a song of farewell.” She patted Riley’s head and felt soothed by feeling his fur.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s the way of things,” Sequoia replied even though the words rang hollow. “Are you sure you don’t need anything? Am I missing something?”

“No,” Hesh replied. He motioned that there was nothing wrong and that she didn’t need to get up. “I just want to talk.”

“I don’t think that is wise, sir,” Sequoia replied looking down in nervousness. Her muscles tensed since she wasn’t sure about what to feel or do. “Not a wise thing.”

“Why?” Hesh watched as she looked like she was ready to bolt. She had started to move and he reached out and grasped her arm gently to stop her from leaving. She turned to look at him and he repeated, “Why, Hawk?”

“Just not.” Sequoia looked away.

“Does it have anything to do why you are so stiff with me? Did I do anything to…” Hesh went silent hoping that she would get what he was getting at. He then asked, “Why are you more open with Logan and hell Merrick even than me?”

“Call it deference to higher ranks,” Sequoia replied. “I’m a sergeant… Logan is a sergeant and you’re a lieutenant. Fairly obvious I think and… you don’t think I should be here. Hell even I think I shouldn’t be here.” She looked away and sighed. “Most thought the same when I came along.”

“That’s stupid,” Hesh countered. He paused to take a breath. “I never thought that you shouldn’t be here. You saved my brother in Santa Monica and you’re good at what you do. I just don’t get why you act like you want to be kicked out.”

“Any thoughts of glory were beaten out my first five years in. Funny thing is I never had any. I just wanted to serve since I lost my parents to ODIN.” Sequoia sighed feeling a little more relaxed. “Carol was my only friend and then there is Logan.”

“You can call me one.”

Sequoia looked at Hesh and their eyes locked in silence. There seemed to be a silent exchange between them. Neither knew or understood what happened then but things suddenly seemed less stiff for them as they continued to talk.


	11. Chapter 11

“So your dad was assigned to the Ghosts?”

Sequoia gave a nod as she and Hesh walked through the halls. They were on their way to a briefing about the missile launch they saw in the Yucatan. “That much I got from Elias when I asked. It was after our first mission. I just had a feeling. He was away from home a lot… working.”

Hesh nodded, trying to decide if he should persist. They had been talking since the afternoon before in between the usual chores and Logan being his annoying and cheerful self plus taking the break for actual sleep. Sometimes they lapsed into silence and it was comfortable like that first morning while either of them tried to come up with a question to ask.

Hesh was beginning to understand why Sequoia reacted the way she did when they captured Rorke. He knew now that the Charlie was Charles Williams, her father and probably one of the best interrogators the military had. If he was with the Ghosts at that time, then it had to be something important. He asked, “When he wasn’t… working… what did he do?”

“Training,” Sequoia replied. She had her hands clasped behind her while they were walking. Even though Hesh made it clear that she didn’t have to be stiff, it was more for her sanity. It was a comfort zone for her. “In between school and other things, he was teaching me what he said that I was going to need to survive.”

“Explains a lot.”

“Not really. I didn’t understand much of what he said and tried to teach me. In the end…,” she ended up giving a slight chuckle. She looked up at the ceiling and then said, “I guess something stuck since I’m still here.”

Hesh thought there was more to it but she wasn’t going to go into it. He wasn’t going to pry since this was a new step with regards to their relationship. If it had been Logan, he would have been asking and no doubt she would have indulged. He threw the ball that he had been throwing for Riley and the dog went after it to retrieve it. “Dad trained me and Logan. I bet you could give us a run for our money.”

“Haven’t I already?” Sequoia looked at Hesh with a raised brow. She gave a slight grin as she added, “Considering I remembered the laptop and managed to hold onto it.”

“I’ll give you that if it wasn’t too badly mangled,” Hesh replied with a slight grin.

“Still got the intel. So…”

Hesh chuckled as he accepted the ball from Riley. “I guess you have an answer for everything.”

“Not everything,” Sequoia replied. She shook her head for a moment as she remembered something and then chuckled. She looked and noticed that Hesh was asking silently what she was laughing about. She explained, “Something I remembered. ‘We are to know everything but know nothing.’ My father said it when he asked me to determine if he was lying about something. He told me that the most important thing you could ever do was to know what you needed and to know nothing.”

“I don’t get it.”

“I didn’t either and sometimes I think I had it figured out. At least when it has to do with being confidence as a squad leader.” She gave a shrug of her shoulders. “He would say things like that and they stuck but I think he didn’t expect me to understand it then but to remember it for a later time. It just comes as it does.”

Hesh would have said something but Merrick found them saying that they were needed in briefing. He looked at her and she gave a shrug and followed calling out, “We’re coming old man.”

Hesh felt his lip twitch at that reference but also held his breath as Merrick turned to look at her. There was no need to feel alarm since it seemed that she and Merrick were on a sort of agreement to have an antagonistic type of relationship since he replied, “Good cause I’d hate to chew your ass out again, Hawk.”

“I could punch you in the eye if it will make you feel better.”

“You just try that. Now get your asses over for briefing.”

Hesh caught up with Sequoia and asked, “Are you shooting to be the pain in the ass?”

Sequoia looked at Hesh. She shrugged her shoulders since she wasn’t sure, actually she was, and replied, “I was the moment I gave Merrick a shiner. Since then… fair game. By the way… did you use my stuff?” At Hesh’s inquiring look, she explained, “I just happened to notice and I think I gave you an older batch. The smell is strong.”

Hesh took in the gesture she made to indicate that it was strong. He rolled his eyes not to rise to the bait. He said defiantly, “I like it.”

“Good. It’s a nice smell.” Sequoia had replied with a straight face that in the end they both ended up chuckling. It subsided when they got to briefing but it was still on their minds. She sensed that Hesh was a little anxious because it was a strong smell but that was the point of it. That meant it was ready to go and doing its job. She said, “Just pretend everything is normal… like a mission. No one will say anything.”

“Experience?” Hesh looked at her.

“I had bruised ribs before,” she reminded him. She cast a glance as if to dare him to challenge that or ask about it.

Hesh was curious but he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to hear about it. Some of the things she mentioned about herself had been nothing more than usual and not worthy of spreading the rumors of the dreaded Echo Three. He replied, “And I believe you.”

They walked in to find it was just Logan in there. It looked like it might be some good news about the missile. They could certainly use some. Elias waited until his eldest and Sequoia came in before saying, “NORAD was able to say conclusively the missile launched in the Yucatan did not hit the USA.”

Logan was the first to ask, “So where did it go?”

“That’s exactly what I’m sending you three to find out,” Elias replied. His gaze lingered on Sequoia since he knew the extent of her injuries. So far she was giving no sign of saying she wasn’t up to it. Then again she was like her father… and mother in that respect.

“And the others?” Sequoia gave an inquisitive frown. She was curious why it was just her, Hesh and Logan in this meeting.

Elias gave her a look and she was quiet. He continued, “The President has authorized Operation Clockwork. It’s an assault on a Fed facility high in the Andes that could give us the answer. You will infiltrate the facility and gather any information you can on their missile program.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Sequoia allowed giving a nod to indicate she understood.

Hesh though had to ask since it was nagging on his mind and probably everyone else’s, “What about your old friend Rorke? He won’t stop coming for us.”

“Rorke will get his,” Elias cut in sharply. He was well aware that was the possibility. He had considered it the moment he got the orders for it. Yet they couldn’t divert attention to something that might or might not occur. “Clockwork is the priority.”

Hesh looked like he was going to say something but was stopped when Sequoia grasped his uniform sleeve and gave a slight shake of her head. At the same time she said, “Agreed, sir. When do we move out?”

It was after they left the room that Hesh asked, “Why did you stop me?”

Sequoia stopped and looked at Hesh. Logan was behind his brother so he was effectively stuck behind them. She replied, “Because there was no point to it. And Elias was right. Clockwork is priority.”

“And I get that but you know, everyone knows that Rorke is on the loose…”

“And if he is smart, he will regroup,” she countered. She studied Hesh for a moment before glancing at Logan and then turned to continue walking. “It’s what I would do.” She knew they were still following and they were heading in the same direction.

“What you would do?”

Sequoia paused and turned to look again. “Yes. The worst enemies are the ones that know how to keep a target at unease. They even plan for things like this. Waiting is the worst feeling in the world especially when you don’t know. The best thing is to be aware and move forward.”

Hesh said nothing and neither did Logan. They continued along silently and went to grab their gear. It wasn’t until they were almost ready to ship out that Hesh found Sequoia she was talking to the pilot that was going to fly them to the Andes along with Logan and they were getting along well… at least Logan and the pilot were and it had Hesh’s attention as he made to load up.

“Sometimes I wonder if there is such a thing as coincidence.”

Hesh nearly jumped since Sequoia’s voice was low and unexpected. “There is such a thing as fair warning,” he replied trying not to show that he had been startled.

“That was when you met me,” Sequoia replied grinning. She liked the fact that she was able to get Hesh jumpy. Logan was fun to joke around but she was slowly discovering Hesh was something else. “Anything else is on you.”

Hesh looked at her as he finished loading up. “And somehow I feel I might regret even saying you don’t have to be so stiff with me.”

“As long as it is honest. You don’t have to like someone in order to watch their back.” She climbed in and sat looking out at him.

“Right,” Hesh replied as he climbed in followed by Logan.

Sequoia gave a slight smile as she leaned back. She shouted at the pilot in her language and laughed at the reply. At the looks she said, “Skye is someone I know from Pine Ridge.”

_She was my teacher. Takes a bird of prey to know another._

Sequoia was still smiling. It had been a surprise to see Skye again and she thought she had died when ODIN attacked. As it turned out Skye and her mom escaped and went back to the Pine Ridge reservation and it seemed that they looked for her since no one else seemed to think about it. They thought she was dead. Skye turned her life around and joined the moment she was old enough to and ended up in the pilot training program.

When Sequoia met their pilot, it was Skye who recognized her right off and started talking in their language to make sure. Sequoia automatically responded and it was a nice reunion for them. Skye filled her in on what happened after ODIN and Sequoia filled her in on what she had been doing. It was then Skye asked, “Do you remember that day when you made me climb the tree?”

Sequoia nodded and replied, “Yes.”

Skye then showed the scar on her palm, “I fell.”

“But you got back up.” Sequoia looked at the girl and added, “That is the most important thing you’ll ever learn in life. Getting back up after you fall… you end up knowing what you are capable of.”

That was when Logan came up and Sequoia introduced them to each other. She could tell that they hit it off right away and was amused and curious by the whole thing. It was the reason for her comment to Hesh and her subsequent fun in startling him. The meeting had her spirits lifted and it showed on her face as she looked out the bay doors. It was noticed mostly by Hesh who was thinking that it was a nice sight to see.

****

“Can’t you just cut it?”

“If you want that knife shoved up your ass.” Sequoia shot a look at Keegan for suggesting that she cut her hair. It was a problem though since they were ‘borrowing’ uniforms from the dead Feds they ambushed. The problem was that they were all men and it was painfully obvious she was a woman and her hair was the giveaway.

It was easy to pull it off since the gear made her look like a small man. The problem was her hair and they had to wear the Fed K-pots and masks. Keegan made the suggestion of her cutting her hair and that was the reason for her outburst. With a look she deftly unpinned the coiled braid and let it trail down her back. With skills of longtime practice, she slipped the braid down the collar, picked up the head mask and helmet and popped it on.

No one could argue that she was going to blend in. Even Keegan felt like he stuck his foot in it. Logan whispered to Hesh, “Now that is more like the rumors of Echo Three.”

“Tell me about it,” Hesh whispered back as he picked up his gear.

“Time?” Merrick looked at Hesh and interrupted to put the team back on focus.

Twenty-two, thirty five,” Hesh replied after checking his watch. He looked at Sequoia who was ready to go and almost didn’t recognize her. He found that he was looking for her tomahawk since it clearly defined her but it wasn’t there. It would have stuck out anyway as she said even though he could see that it pained her to leave it behind.

“Let’s move out,” Merrick said, satisfied that everything was set. He was surprised she got that forceful with Keegan but she made her point. He started forward, his boots crunching in the snow. “Kick, we’ve acquired enemy uniforms and are headed to the security checkpoint.”

_Roger that._

The snow crunched under their boots as they crept through the trees. Hesh watched as Sequoia gave a tap on Keegan’s shoulder to indicate that she was apologizing for earlier. Keegan gave a nod and they continued as if nothing happened. Hesh sidled up to Sequoia and whispered, “Everything good now?”

“Misunderstanding,” Sequoia offered. Her voice sounded gruff muffled under the mask and it just added to the credibility that she was a man that looked short even though her height complimented Hesh’s. “It’s good.”

Hesh nodded and said, “Looks better in a braid.”

Sequoia would have said something but Merrick was relaying the plan, “We hit the checkpoint and get into position for the returning patrol. Checkpoint’s ahead.”

_You’ve got ten minutes to acquire transport and be inside Blackbird before we cut the power._

“Copy all,” Merrick replied as he heaved himself over the ledge. Keegan wasn’t too far behind followed by Logan, Hesh and Sequoia.

Sequoia took point and moved ahead with her rifle leveled to fire. She had pulled ahead of the group almost gliding while moving on the balls of her feet. She had good balance in that form and had once bested her father when they practiced and he was teaching her tracking and hunting. A lot of the things that were of the old way sort of fit in this war she was fighting now. Again she wondered if it was a coincidence or not just like meeting Skye again.

“There it is. Hold your fire.”

Sequoia crouched on the slope and peered down at the checkpoint they needed to acquire transport. She paused and scanned the area and relayed to Merrick, “I count eight at the checkpoint.”

Merrick scanned and confirmed, “Confirmed and the guard on the tower makes nine. Nice work Hawk.”

“Always old man.”

Merrick glanced at her with a slight look that almost was a grin before looking back at the scene. He looked at the tower and said, “Logan, take the guard out. Right side tower.”

Sequoia peered through her scope to watch the scene below for any sign of movement while Logan brought his rifle up to aim at the guard on the tower. They had to take him out first otherwise he would alert the whole base if something happened and then they were in deep shit. She was keeping her eye on the other tower and the ground nearby unaware that Hesh was doing the same to her left but looking directly underneath the tall tower on the right while Logan got off a clean shot and the guard was down.

“He’s down,” Keegan confirmed.

“We’ve got three on the command tower to the left,” Merrick replied with a slight nod. “You kids take them out together.”

Sequoia aimed at the one in the middle, “I got monkey in the middle.”

“I got left on three,” Hesh murmured and counted down.

It was almost synchronized as the three Feds dropped. They didn’t see that coming. Merrick confirmed, “Splash three. Nicely done. Take out the rest. Everyone pick a target. Go.”

It felt like a free for all as everyone picked a target to shoot. It was quick work and Merrick gave the word to move up. “Logan, left side covering Keegan and clear that body. I can see it from here.”

The Fed was draped over the barrier and it was obvious he was dead and not drunk off his feet. Logan walked over and pulled the body over to his side and made sure he was hidden while Keegan dragged the other inside the building. Across the way, he spotted Sequoia pulling another inside on the right.

“Hesh, in the back covering me,” Merrick continued, “And Hawk, eyes on the road and gate.”

“Just like sweeping the Wall, old man,” Sequoia said as she took up a patrol position at the gate. “Piece of cake.”

Hesh was nervous about her being alone but he followed orders. Even though the distance technically wasn’t far, it felt that way. The patrol was inbound and right on schedule as confirmed by Kick. She stood at her position and glanced in his direction as if she knew. She adjusted her grip on her weapon and gave a nod to indicate that everything was fine. He felt a slight flush creep up his face and it felt warm. To hide it he said, “These uniforms better work.”

“It only works as far as you can play the part,” Sequoia replied. She gave signals like she was on patrol and added, “That and if you can speak Spanish.” She looked up and muttered, “BTR on the road.”

“Let the BTR pass,” Merrick said as he looked at the patrol arriving. “Hawk, you’re up.”

Hesh felt his muscles clench in fear as Sequoia held up her hand to halt the transport while the BTR moved down a different direction. She started speaking in Spanish and with the mask pulled over her face, it sounded gruff and hardly feminine. It gave him the chance to murmur, “Logan, you’ve got the driver.”

Sequoia was chattering away in Spanish, thankful that the language lessons from Morales came in handy. She was leaning on the truck in a casual manner and noticed Logan starting to make his way towards the driver. She kept the driver’s focus while Logan crept up and watched almost nonchalantly as Logan knifed the guy as Hesh took out the other. She was still leaning against the hood and looked at Merrick, “Piece of cake.”

“Alright, Merrick said glad that the smirk wasn’t showing since he was amused at Sequoia’s position, “Clean and load. We need to be green in thirty.”

It was quick work to load the truck with the bags and get everyone in. Sequoia found herself wedged between Logan and Hesh and she felt stiff mostly because Logan seemed to be shoving her into his brother. A look showed that he was doing it purposely and she gave him a punch on his thigh while Keegan started to drive.

“Relax, Hawk,” Hesh said quietly. “You’re like a poker.”

Sequoia punched Logan’s thigh again for good measure since his eyes were laughing at her. She settled down since Merrick was shooting them a look like he was babysitting unruly kids. She asked, “Is he always like this?”

“Worse,” Hesh replied as he looked at Logan who was trying to be innocent. He looked back at Sequoia and said, “I don’t bite.”

That seemed to do the trick and Merrick was able to say, “Once inside, keep your spacing and minimize shots after the blackout. Hesh be ready to hook into their system when we get to security.”

“Roger,” Hesh replied with a nod.

“Hawk, eyes and ears… and have fun,” Merrick added.

“Thanks… old man,” Sequoia muttered. She nodded her understanding.

Merrick had spoken to her before they infiltrated and said that he was going to depend on her to be eyes and ears for them. What they couldn’t see or hear; virtually if they missed someone she was to cover. He also said that once they started the downloads, she was to watch Hesh’s back and make sure they get the info out no matter what. In other words she was protection detail and it had Sequoia feeling that there was a lot riding on this or it was something to keep her busy. Either way she was going to do her job.

“Scarecrow we are at the clubhouse. We’ve secured a vehicle and moving to Blackbird,” Merrick replayed.

_Copy Actual. Blackbird is quiet. You are go for insertion and data retrieval._

“Copy all,” Merrick replied as he started the clock for blackout. “Entering Blackbird.”

Sequoia sat quietly and observed the area as they entered. It was like going into an underground parking garage and it was littered with Feds lounging or carrying about their business. They just had to play it cool and she could do that as she slid out of Hesh’s door while he grabbed her bag and handed it over before grabbing his. They started walking casually and let Keegan and Merrick do the talking.

“Ready your NVGs,” Merrick said.

His timing was perfect as the lights cut out then. Sequoia was already on the guards that were standing next to her and Hesh. She didn’t use her gun but reached out and knifed one and snapped the neck of the other as soon as Merrick said to clean house. She had her rifle up and was shooting at hostiles, following Hesh through the security. Time to clean house… sort of.


	12. Chapter 12

“Blow it.”

Sequoia blinked as the door was blasted open. She checked their flank and moved forward, staying near Hesh the entire time. It was awkward to think about it being like how she took it upon herself to look after Carol when they were together. She thought Hesh to be capable in anything he was told to do and it wasn’t like he was squeamish about shooting or anything. He got the bug planted and picked up his rifle and started shooting. Nothing she wouldn’t have done. She shrugged it off as she followed the team into the room.

“Front door’s open! ETA to the nest: four minutes,” Merrick informed. “Weapons free!”

“Maybe we should’ve knocked,” Sequoia teased as she fired at a hostile. She vaulted herself over the debris of the door to engage while Hesh went around coming up her left.

_Eyes and ears are online. Patching you in. Boss, you got a mess of them headed your way._

Sequoia rolled her eyes slightly. She continued to fire and move forward, trying to clear a path and keeping Hesh in her sights. Logan stayed nearby like he was covering her and that worked out just fine. She kneeled behind the wall of a lab when Logan moved up and she took the opportunity to peek. She saw it and tripped Logan by grabbing his pant leg and giving a hard yank.

Logan fell just as the hostiles popped up to shoot. Sequoia shot back with Hesh. Her eyes were narrowed as she put a bullet through a Fed’s skull. She looked down at Logan who was covered in glass and asked, “You okay?”

“Next time tie my shoe laces together,” Logan replied as he righted himself. He felt like a turtle since he landed on this back when he fell as the first shots rang out. “Thanks Hawk.”

“Watch the labs,” came Merrick’s warnings.

“Too little, too late, old man,” Sequoia replied as she returned fire.

“Eyes and ears, Hawk.”

Sequoia chuckled at that as they continued to move forward. She caught Hesh’s eye and shrugged like it was nothing. It was Merrick’s way of reminding her why she was there on that mission.

_Major activity in the next junction._

Sequoia was taking point at the moment and slid to a cover position. She reloaded her gun and caught sight of a bunch of Feds running through. She clipped a few in the legs and finished them off. It was probably cruel but then again it was crueler to let them bleed out in pain. That was a slow way to go and excruciating.

_Sometimes you have to do things that are just wrong. Slow and easy can make people more cooperative._

She shook her head as she heard her father’s advice pop up. It was a fine time to be thinking about his advice. It was like her gut instinct; it popped up and that was that. Why now on this piece of advice… she had no idea. She focused on the mission and took out Feds in return fire.

“Head right,” Merrick yelled when the path was clear. “Don’t get bogged down. We have to keep moving.”

Sequoia turned and signaled to Logan and then Hesh to bring up the rear. On three she popped out of her cover and started firing. They joined her and started pushing down the hall. It surprised the hostiles since they were dug in and to see targets that deliberately came out… it was tempting and they went for it. They were in for a surprise when they were gunned down after Logan cooked a grenade to bring them out.

_All clear up ahead._

“Move!”

Keegan took point and led the group through the halls to the south corridor. Kick informed them that there were a lot of tangos heading towards them and Merrick replied, “Exiting the tree. Taking the high road to the nest.”

_I’m seeing minimal activity on the high road. You’re off the radar for now._

There were not too many tangos on the high road as Keegan led the way with Logan following behind him. Merrick took the rear and Sequoia and Hesh were in front of him. It was impressive when Keegan took care of the one guard by slamming him against the railing, the wall and then just let him drop to his death. It didn’t mean that they were to let their guard down since there could be more.

_Tangos massing in the rotunda._

“Take it slow,” Merrick said, “And that means you too, Hawk.”

Sequoia rolled her eyes slightly at that and muttered, “And you’d think I was a little kid rather than a soldier that knows what orders mean.”

“I wouldn’t know since you like treading the line,” Hesh teased having heard what she said. “Then again to Merrick you are a kid.”

“And that makes you an old man too?” She gave a pointed look at Hesh even though it was difficult to see it with the mask on. She was teasing of course and he saw it that way and gave a very gentle and playful punch to her shoulder. “Guess not,” she replied through the grin she was giving.

“Not even,” Hesh replied, “Kid.”

Sequoia narrowed her eyes playfully and gave a warning gesture. “Appearances can be deceiving, Hesh.”

They continued down and back into the facility and Merrick called a hold. Since they were still in Fed uniform, they walked in and Keegan started a casual conversation while the others filtered in to take position. Sequoia nodded and said a couple of things and once causing one of the Feds to laugh and it had Hesh wondering what the hell she said.

There was no time since Merrick called, “Weapons hot.”

Sequoia had made it to a point where the wall and crevice could provide cover when the go was given and open fired. She was in a good position to down a group of them and she was covered by Hesh who pulled her back when the Feds returned fire in their direction. She found herself face to face with Hesh and he pulled her close before sticking his weapon out and firing. She teased, “A little high school don’t you think?”

“Who are you and what have you done with Hawk?” Hesh blinked when a bullet ricocheted in front of him.

“Merrick said to have fun,” she explained. When Hesh looked at her she continued, “He didn’t say how I was supposed to have fun.” She had said it like a kid would when trying to argue semantics with their parent.

Hesh had to give her that one. She knew what Merrick meant though but she took it further. It certainly made things interesting and she was doing her job. He had no complaints and certainly Merrick and Keegan didn’t. He released her so she spun around and pressed her back against him to return fire. The feeling that started was gone when she moved out and said he should try to keep up.

“Pick it up boys. Move before the whole base gets here.”

“Just keep up old man,” Sequoia replied as she pushed forward.

They kept it up and cleared the rotunda. Merrick gave the all clear and said they had ninety seconds to make it to the nest. Sequoia looked at Hesh and said, “Race you.”

“No cheating,” Hesh replied as he followed her lead while Merrick asked for a time check.

_Check and clear. You’re on schedule._

“More like two seconds faster,” Hesh teased as he paused where Sequoia had stopped. “You like making us look bad don’t you?”

“Just doing my job. I expected a lot from my boys and no complaints,” she replied with a look as if to ask if he was one of those that would complain. “But I’m just here for the ride,” she added with a shrug.

Hesh gave a slight shake of his head and followed her in when Merrick walked in with Logan and Keegan and fired in the air and told the people in there to clear out. They were civilians so there was no need to harm them.

“We’ve entered the nest. Prepping for transfer,” Merrick called. “Everyone drop the bags off at the command platform.”

Everyone that had a bag put it on the table. Sequoia put hers on the table and opened it. She pulled out her tomahawk and twirled before putting it on her belt. Hesh noticed and teased, “Been holding out on us I see.”

“Nope, just playing the part,” Sequoia said. She also checked the other equipment in the bag which included some extra grenades and ammo which she distributed to everyone. “Knew being the odd man had benefits,” she murmured as she packed her extra mags into the various pouches on her uniform.

“Hesh, get started on the computer bank,” Merrick ordered as he packed his extra mags.

“I’ll need two minutes thirty to complete the download,” Hesh said as he began setting up to download the info.

“Roger that. We’ll cover you,” Merrick replied while shooting a look at Sequoia.

Sequoia knew that her job was up and she moved in to look and find a position to take. The download may be only two minutes but sometimes it felt like a life time especially when you were also fighting for your life and against numbers that weren’t in your favor. She did a sort of foot patrol while the others set up for incoming. She pointed out a position for Logan to set up some claymores.

“A little close don’t you think?”

Sequoia glanced at Hesh who was looking up at her and she replied, “Do I tell you how to do a download?”

“Touchy. This another hair thing?”

“Nothing like it. Just making a point.”

Hesh looked at the way she had positioned herself. “Point taken.”

“Thirty seconds to set up defenses. Hawk, eyes and ears.”

“Roger,” she called out as she checked her ammo and pulled out her pistol and checked it. She kneeled by Hesh with her back towards him in a position where she could look at all sides. Thirty seconds was plenty of time. She pulled out a few mags and laid them in position to grab at a moment’s notice.

“Digging in?” Hesh had turned to see what she was doing and noticed the way she had arranged everything.

“My position. Everyone is going to move,” Sequoia replied as she checked the half empty mags and transferred bullets over to fill them up. “Merrick told me that as eyes and ears it meant that whoever got past them and the defenses… I take them out. So… taking root here. Best view.”

Hesh suspected that there was more to it than that but he wasn’t going to ask. She was in a good position. He then heard her repeat what he had said earlier, “You don’t bite.” She also added, “And I don’t either. It’s more bark than bite.” She was chuckling when she said it before she turned around.

The download started and it looked like it was going to take longer than two minutes thirty. Hesh suppressed the sigh as the download began and he scanned the information he was pulling. It wasn’t going to help it go any faster and it wasn’t going to if he let it alone. It was just the way how file transfers worked. He could say that he was grateful Sequoia was watching his back; it was reassuring to know that she was there.

“Hesh, did you find data on the rocket?”

Hesh had been scrolling through and found what Merrick was asking for and replied, “Oh yeah. It’s all here. Specs, design, implementation.”

“Anything in there on how to not make one?” Sequoia looked back as she adjusted her position. If the mask had been off she would have been grinning.

“I think you’re taking Merrick’s orders too seriously,” Hesh replied with a shake of his head. He was grinning himself. He liked her sense of humor and while it may seem out of place on some occasions it felt right.

“You’d rather I bite your head off?”

“No. I like it.” Hesh turned to look at Sequoia and caught her eye. He meant what he said and let her know it. “It suits you.”

Sequoia felt a slight rush of heat come up her neck. Her cheeks were starting to flush under the ski mask and it felt… good maybe, she wasn’t sure. It was one of those things that… she couldn’t identify but she liked it. She gave a nod to Hesh and turned her attention forward.

_Tangos incoming down the main ramp._

The first shots whizzed into the command deck and shattered the glass. Sequoia didn’t return fire given her position but kept an eye out as the bullets whizzed overhead. She glanced at Hesh who was working with the download and back forward. The whizzing indicated that they were coming close but because they were in a position to cover and couldn’t be seen, they just flew overhead. That wouldn’t be the case for the others and she saw them moving to take up positions.

She noticed something out of the corner of her eye and sharply turned and fired. The sound of her gun startled Hesh a little but he kept at it while she shouted, “They’re coming in. Doors on the right!”

She stayed crouched and ceased fire while the other players shifted. She offered support when she could and adjusted her position as necessary. While she was in a good position that didn’t necessarily mean that it was attack proof or something like that. There was always the chance of a blind spot or something you didn’t see coming. That was the way it was in war.

What she didn’t see coming was the stray shot that hit danger close and glass shattered. Hesh took the brunt of it and grunted in surprise and pain. Sequoia rounded and found the shooter and fired at him in retaliation and swore in Spanish since there was nothing better to say. In the meantime Hesh grunted and called out, “Under attack! Need support now!”

Sequoia frowned and whirled to cover where the gunfire was coming from while pulling a grenade and cooking it. “Grenade out!”

The explosion sent sparks and papers flying a drove the tangos back. It was helped along by Logan’s claymores that they ran into and his covering his end. Sequoia looked at Hesh as he was shaking his hand, trying to get rid of the sting. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. Just fire your weapon,” Hesh replied. He didn’t mean to sound rude if it came out that way but they needed to buy time to get the data and get out. He looked at her and repeated, “I’m good. We need cover fire.”

Sequoia didn’t buy it. She noticed he had been shaking his hand and holding it. She wasn’t going to pry since they had bigger problems at the moment. “They’re breaching the doors on the left,” she shouted and she fired a headshot at the first one she saw. She was distracted when Hesh clotheslined her towards the console and fired his weapon at a tango that would have hit her from behind.

The movement wasn’t painful but Sequoia felt a dull throb on her side when she ended up on the ground prone. She managed to squeeze off a few more shots before righting herself. She glanced at Hesh who was firing in the opposite direction and looked where the hostiles were embedded. She reloaded her gun and pulled out a grenade. Timing it she threw it and it exploded right in the middle of the group. It bought some time and she asked, “How much longer?”

Hesh didn’t have time to answer since more gunfire erupted at them. Sequoia swore, “Son of a bitch,” and fired in the more concentrated area, popping up to aim and fire before taking cover. The bullets hitting sent sparks and bits of metal out. “Hesh?”

“A minute,” he confirmed.

“Nothing takes a minute,” she murmured. These Fed assholes were pissing her off. She fired in all directions but they were bogged down there.

“They’re on Hesh. Get back there!”

 _Not on my watch_ , Sequoia thought as she pulled out a few more grenades and was ready to lob them out. Merrick may have said that she went overboard but to hell with that. She was the one that had the extras. She also took the time to pull her bag that had the stuff down to reach in. She pulled the pins on two and lobbed them out, one left and one right. “Grenades out!”

The grenades bounced off the walls and landed with a bang. It looked like there was a slight fire problem on one side but it was not the problem since they had tangos coming in. Sequoia lobbed a couple of more out like precision mortar fire. It was not the best idea but it worked. It had the others duck since it was sort of danger close but it helped. Sequoia brought her rifle up and drew fire. “Think I’m having fun now?”

Hesh ducked from a ricochet and returned fire while checking the download. “The rate you’re cooking grenades...” He made a slight face.

“Sometimes better than mortars.”

Hesh said nothing as he checked. He wiped away the blood that had smeared on the console and peered at the data. The download needed thirty more seconds. “Thirty seconds.”

It couldn’t have come at a better time. While thirty seconds was better than two minutes, it still felt like a long time. The firefight raged on until Hesh said, “Complete.”

Sequoia was the closest and called it in, “Kick, data secure. Make the call.”

_Check. Good work boys._

“Time to make our exit,” Merrick called and signaled they were to move out.

Sequoia grabbed Hesh’s shoulder a bit roughly and pushed him hard towards the exit while covering fire. She was joined by Keegan and Merrick. Logan was the first to reach the elevator. They popped smoke to cover their exit and headed for the elevator.

_We’re hearing chatter on the emergency frequencies. Not long before they’re onto you._

They hustled into the elevator after making sure that they weren’t followed and the door was shut. Sequoia was the last to get in since Hesh was behind the others and she took a last look before getting in. Merrick ran a check, “Time check 23:56.”

_Check._

“We’re going out the same way we came in. Keep your weapons low and ready. Time to blend in,” Merrick said as he took a look at the group. He noticed a blood smear on Sequoia’s uniform. He didn’t recall her saying if she was hit. Still that could work to their advantage. He pointed at her and Hesh, “Limp.”

It was a silent fight on who was ‘carrying’ who until Hesh put his arm over Sequoia’s shoulder. Keegan was also going to limp but was more functional. Merrick checked the group before turning outward towards the door and added, “Don’t shoot unless you wanna fight your way out of here.”

They put on a pretty good act with Hesh limping and Sequoia trying to steady him. Since he was really playing it, she wavered a little bit and it gave the illusion that they were helping each other while Merrick sweet talked the Feds into letting them pass and explaining what happened in there. When they were past the initial guards, Hesh lightened up a little and they sort of stumbled into a fast walk. They had to since the drill was found as well as the bug. It was only a matter of time before they found them. The best they could do was to get out of there with the rest of the crowd.

They made it to the vehicle and got in. Sequoia was once again squished in between Logan and Hesh in the back. It made it impossible for her to move if they needed to shoot their way out. She sat still like nothing was wrong as Keegan drove the truck towards the exit. They just had to make it out but they were stopped and Keegan started conversing in Spanish.

Hesh had brought out his pistol slowly and he felt the grip slipping in his hand but he ignored it and glanced at Logan to get his pistol out. Sequoia sat still unaware that there was a bloody spot on her shoulder until it was pointed out by the Fed at the checkpoint they were stopped at. Keegan was trying to buy them some time but it appeared that they weren’t buying in. They were demanding them to get out and pointing at Sequoia.

Hesh didn’t understand much of what was said but he took it to mean a threat against her. He reacted first and shot the two that were closest while Merrick yelled for Keegan to punch it. Sequoia started to move but she was pushed back down by Logan who jumped on the turret. He said, “My turn.”

Sequoia shook her head and brought up her rifle to help. She retorted, “Show off.”

They had two minutes till exfil and until then they had to keep the enemy vehicles off their ass. Part of it had to be done with Keegan’s driving and on an ice patch, it was rough going. Logan was doing what he could with the turret and the others were firing their weapons. They kept it up as Keegan headed to the extraction point sliding on the ice. Logan picked up on the trick of shooting at the ice right under the enemy vehicles. It sent them careening out of control.

“Neptune, we are at the extraction point, over,” Merrick called over the comm.

_Neptune One is on station. Surfacing now._

Sequoia turned to peer over her shoulder out the front to see the cracking of ice and chunks shooting up into the air. She gripped the edge of the back of the seat to brace herself but was held in place by Hesh who was bracing himself as Keegan literally drove onto the submarine that decided to make its appearance. She looked at Keegan and said, “I thought you said you knew how to drive.”

“Never said I could drive well,” Keegan replied as he got out.

The team spilled out of the truck and headed towards the hatch. Sequoia sighed as she dropped in. She really didn’t look forward to this but she was glad that this mission was over. Her feet hit the ground and she stepped away just as Hesh came down and nearly lost his grip. She caught him to steady him and noticed the blood smears. She looked at him and said, “Just fine right?”


	13. Chapter 13

“I’m surprised you were able to hold your gun,” Sequoia said as she peered at Hesh’s hand. Actually she was surprised he could move it at all since there was a large chunk of glass embedded in the top of his hand. It made his hand look swollen and with the angry red patch of skin that it was giving off. “Stubborn ass.”

“I’m stubborn? Look who’s talking,” Hesh retorted. He gestured at her side at the red spot.

Sequoia made a slight face as she peered down and frown. Without disregard for decorum she peeled off the Fed uniform top and dropped it and took a look at her t-shirt. She then lifted it and looked at the gauze patch and said, “Hmm. Looks like a popped stitch or two. Nothing serious.”

Hesh rolled his eyes at that. “Serious my ass.”

“I’m not the one who has glass in his hand which I am not going to yank out. Wouldn’t want you to scream like I was committing bloody murder.” Sequoia crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Hesh with a firm look since she meant what she said. She gave a slight smile to add to it.

“We wouldn’t want that now would we?”

Both turned to see the medic enter. Hesh heard Sequoia gasp and her face actually paled. He looked at her and asked, “Hawk?”

Hawk wasn’t listening. She was looking at the medic who had come in. She wasn’t sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her or she was losing it. She had been on the frontlines for nearly ten years. It could drive someone crazy. “It’s not possible.”

Carol looked at her old friend. The scar over her right eyebrow looked formidable and her skin looked more tanned but it was still her. She started to laugh and teased, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Not funny you little shit,” Sequoia replied much to Hesh’s surprise. “What the fuck are you doing here? You’re dead.”

“Then I guess I’m a doppelganger or you’re hallucinating. Wouldn’t surprise me considering the crazy shit you get into,” Carol replied. She glanced at Hesh who was looking at the whole scene while holding his hand. She also noticed the spot of red on Sequoia’s shirt. “Now can I do my job? If you behave I might tell you what happened,” she said in a placating tone.

“Fuck you, Carol,” Sequoia replied as she sat on a chair and crossed her arms over her chest and looked like a petulant child.

Hesh was quiet while Carol looked at his hand and started spraying water to clean away the blood and grime. It stung and made his lip twitch and he almost snatched his hand away but Carol held fast especially when she used tweezers to pull the glass out. She teased him, “You’re better behaved than she is.”

“Only because I’m pissed with you.”

Carol chuckled as she removed the last of the glass. The wound started bleeding again so she rinsed it off. “Clean cuts. Should heal pretty nicely. Maybe a faint scar but hardly noticeable,” she said as she put on some antibiotics and wrapped the hand up.

Hesh had been quiet the entire time his hand was treated and it turned out to be a good thing. Sequoia was obviously dealing with the fact that her friend whom she thought was dead and it wasn’t necessarily anger. He wasn’t sure since Carol accepted the name calling like it was a natural thing. He looked at his hand and flexed it. It felt better now the glass was out and stood up to leave.

“Well that is better than nothing,” Carol said as she motioned for Sequoia to stand up and come in.

“I’m fine,” Sequoia replied.

“And I’m the Easter bunny,” Carol replied as she pushed Sequoia into a cubicle. She then said, “Strip.”

“Kinky bitch.”

“You want a repeat of the trouble a year ago?”

“I can still kick your ass.”

Hesh just blinked and would have made an exit but ran into Logan just as Sequoia said, “I don’t need to be checked you little shit. I was just bullying the lieutenant.”

Logan blinked and looked at Hesh, “She bullied you?” He then peered to find out what was going on when something crashed to the ground and a bowl rolled out. “What the hell?”

Carol appeared and picked it up, “Nothing going on. Butterfingers.”

“Butterfingers my ass. You just like pissing me off on purpose,” Sequoia replied. “So get your ass back in here and play the mad scientist you little shit.”

Carol chuckled to herself and said to Hesh and Logan, “Good to see you two again.” She disappeared into the cubicle where Sequoia was and the conversation changed to a more pleasant tone.

Hesh and Logan were staring and wondering what the hell was going on. Logan recovered first by laughing. He thought it funny that Sequoia was being difficult with her own injuries but it was overridden by the fact that she could be insistent about other people’s injuries. The bonus was that it was surprising she could get away with being difficult since it was clear that Carol was older than Sequoia but Sequoia outranked her.

“It’s not funny,” Hesh was saying.

“It’s hilarious bro,” Logan said as he got his laughter under control. “Hawk is like you when it comes to seeing the doc. She’s just _way_ more vocal about it.”

Hesh made a face at that. He was still recovering from the fact that Sequoia just did what could be a one eighty on her personality. She argued with him yes but she was downright rude and insulting to her friend whom she previously thought was dead. The reaction seemed normal but it wasn’t. He rubbed his bandaged hand since it still throbbed and the thing was itchy. He retorted, “I don’t get like that.”

“Dude you seriously don’t remember when that round nicked you three years ago do you?” Logan shook his head and added, “You raised hell and I had to deal with it.”

“You and I remember that very differently.”

“Because you were high on painkillers and had a hero complex as big as the stick you sometimes get up your ass,” Logan deadpanned. He crossed his arms and looked in the direction of the cubicle. He remembered why he was there and said, “If you’re finished you better head down for briefing. We’re going out again. I’ll let Hawk know.”

“No, I’ll do it,” Hesh replied automatically. As much as he was fond of his brother, he wasn’t ready to ‘share’ Sequoia at the moment.

Logan knew and gave a chuckle, “Alright fine. See you there. Oh and try not to get your foot stuck in your mouth.”

Hesh reacted by giving a punch to Logan’s shoulder and it was with his sore hand. It produced a sting and Hesh tried keeping a straight face since he knew that it would only encourage Logan to keep at it and he would end up punching him some more and really mess up his hand. He covered by saying, “Shut up.”

“At least Hawk means it when she gives a punch,” Logan teased. He ducked out of the way and was heading down the halls. “Tell her I said hi.”

Hesh shook his head at his brother and turned to see Sequoia coming out of the cubicle with Carol and they were talking pleasantly with one another. He blinked as he said, “There you are. We’re wanted for briefing.”

“Okay,” Sequoia said and she turned towards Carol and said, “See you hopefully never.”

“Fuck you, Sequoia,” Carol said with a grin before turning back to tidy up.

“Back at you little shit,” Sequoia replied with a slight grin. She looked to see that Hesh was trying not to be interested in what that was all about and failing miserably. She said nothing as they left sick bay and started walking down the narrow corridors of the sub. She could tell that it was killing Hesh about what went on and she was going to let it go on a little bit.

It was nice seeing Carol alive and well. After her initial surprise at seeing her, it was like old times when Carol had to fight her every time there was a scratch that needed to be looked at. Sequoia never really liked going to the doctor’s and it was mostly the smell that bothered her and then it always seemed that she got stuck with the doctors that had egos that were like RPGs stuck up their asses. Carol was the only one who didn’t make her feel violated and was a good doctor and she had a motherly air, which was to be expected since Carol was older than she was. It was one of their jokes and the fact that they could insult each other like friends would… it made life good.

Carol had survived the blast. Apparently she had fallen into a ditch when it hit and the concussion of the blast dulled her senses. She got out and was reassigned to the sub as the medical doc. She didn’t ask but she had heard rumors on the sub that they were transporting the Ghosts and that they actually had a real one that was scary as hell. Carol hadn’t expected that it was about her friend and she and Sequoia shared a look over it. The conversation had put Sequoia into a better mood since she was feeling uncomfortable being in the sub.

“So that was Carol,” Hesh was saying.

“Yep. The little shit actually made it out of Santa Monica,” Sequoia replied with a slight smile.

“Look, I get that you may be angry about…”

“It’s the way we are with each other,” Sequoia interrupted to explain. She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders and continued, “Day she was assigned, she was the worst ever and she is shorter than me. She accepted it and said ‘fuck you’ to me. Since then… that’s how it is.”

Hesh shrugged his shoulders and rubbed his hand. He checked it out to make sure that he didn’t break the scabbing. It was fine but it was going to be sore. He glanced over at Sequoia and asked, “Popped stitches?”

“More like jostled stitches. They pulled,” she replied with a shrug. “Like I said, no big deal. Even Carol agreed and it wasn’t to get me out of there since I am the worst patient in the world… at least I think so.”

“You might have competition,” Hesh admitted. “I’m not the best either.”

Sequoia looked at him with a raised brow. “I don’t think I’m inclined to believe that.”

“Didn’t want you poking at my ribs earlier.”

“That was different. I’m not the medic.”

“I think I might like the old you.” Hesh glanced at her to let her know that he was teasing.

“Merrick said to have fun but he didn’t tell me when to stop,” she replied.

“I figured.” Hesh took a moment and took a breath. They were pretty much at briefing and there wasn’t much in terms of distance on a sub. “So you’re okay?”

There was a lot more behind the question than physical wellbeing. Sequoia appreciated it coming from Hesh. It would have been different had it been anyone else. From him, she felt like it was meaningful. She couldn’t describe it and she liked the feeling it gave. She liked him even though at first she thought he was going to be a stick in the mud. He was nice and not so bad. She replied, “As well as can be. It’s all anyone can do.” She gave a slight smile.

Hesh took it in and nodded. That was enough for him even though he was concerned about everything that had happened. It was nice that she still had her friend alive. He thought she needed something good in her life. “Okay.”

****

_That why we’re headed south, to make a diversionary attack on their Atlas platform, in the heart of the Drake Passage…_

_The ATLAS provides enough fuel to keep the Fed running for years. And I don’t want you to take the Atlas… I want you to sink it._

It was a relief to be off the sub. Sequoia didn’t have a problem with transports but being stuck in the sub for five days made it feel like she was going to go crazy. There was something about being on it that made her feel claustrophobic and the sad thing was that she didn’t mind being on the carrier. It had her feel like she was weak especially when she noticed how the others acted. So she did what she usually did… she tried to hide it.

Some relief came when she started wandering down to see Carol. Now that her friend was there, it helped and Carol put her to work with simple things while joking that it had to take getting her stuck in a sub to get her to come willingly to an infirmary. It certainly struck Carol funny and Sequoia bore with it occasionally telling Carol off even though Carol was no longer a corporal but a sergeant. So now they were even. She spent what she could since Carol had her own duties to handle and she had hers.

The first day hadn’t been too bad and she had been able to be natural but by evening she got antsy and took it out on Logan. It was actually a sparring match he agreed to and they went at it but she got a little heavy handed and ended up giving him a couple of bruises to his arms and maybe his body. She also caused his nose to bleed a little and it caused him to joke with her saying that she liked to play rough. She apologized but he brushed it off saying he was good and with a grin on his face. It had her feeling bad the rest of the evening and she ended up picking at her food barely eating before going to bed.

The next day didn’t go too well at all. She knew she had been a bit snappish and it didn’t help that she barely got any sleep the night before. Only Logan seemed to be cheerful and they hung around together most of the time… mostly his asking questions and her answering them and mostly about her people. It helped but she just didn’t like being on that sub and it seemed Logan sensed that and was trying to help. He even got her roped into playing cards with him, Kick and Keegan in Texas Hold ‘Em with the pot being that the winner could ask anything they wanted of the other players. It was a weird version of truth or dare only with cards.

It went well until Kick won and Sequoia made the unfortunate decision to accept a dare rather than the truth. She knew Kick’s tendencies and thought that a dare wasn’t so bad. She was wrong and she was tempted to walk out but her pride was on the line… even if she had to kiss one of the guys in the room. Logan ended up saving her on that one since he was the closest. It was a quick peck and she was out of the room wishing that she never agreed to that stupid game and unaware that Hesh had watched the whole thing.

It was by the third day that she was ready to beg Elias to have Carol give her a sedative even though she hated herself for thinking that. In the end it was Hesh that made her change her mind. He found her staring at the drawing of the sun on the wall she had put up and started talking to her. She ended up telling him how much she hated being on the sub and she didn’t feel embarrassed about it. It felt good to say something and he really didn’t ask a lot of questions but listened and they chatted about much of nothing… mostly before ODIN. That night she had a surprise waiting for her in the form of Riley.

She made it through until they got to their infil point and now she was excited to be out. It showed even though she was in a diver’s suit in way past freezing temperatures and about to take out a major staple to the Federation. What wasn’t to get excited about? It certainly drove Merrick nuts but he had a good sense of humor and said that she could have fun this time. It was risky to flip him off but it worked and they had a laugh.

Hesh felt his lip twitch when he saw her flip Merrick off. She looked better now that she was off the sub and on a mission. He had noticed that she was not herself when they got settled down to the fact that they were taking the sub to the Antarctic. She tried to deal with it and Logan paid the price for it even though he was oddly cheerful about it. Then again Logan always liked it when someone didn’t hold back in sparring; they had done that quite a few times and it always ended up with dad getting on their case for it.

He had watched the poker game and knew that Kick was pushing it. He had seen Keegan shoot him some warning glances along with Logan. He hadn’t been the only one to notice that she felt trapped. He personally thought that Kick was lucky she didn’t have her tomahawk with her otherwise that would have been… It worked when he talked to her. Then with Riley spending nights with her, she did better. He certainly enjoyed her company the last few days. He watched her as she waited while Logan drilled through the ice to put some eyes on the surface and she did the same with their feed.

Hesh watched the feed and noted the patrols, “Last patrol inbound.”

“Copy,” Merrick replied. “Is that all of them?”

“It’s a full house,” Hesh replied. “See you topside.” He motioned towards Sequoia and said, “Pull the plug.”

Sequoia nodded as she pulled their set of eyes and folded it back into her belt. Even though she was giddy to be out, it was tempered by the fact that now they had a job to do. Now that she knew she could go wherever she wanted and wasn’t restricted, she was ready to go. She put the charge she had been given and swam to join Hesh and Logan.

“Charges are set and everyone’s home,” Merrick said indicating that Logan was to take charge of the detonator.

Sequoia had never really done an assault like this but she was good at swimming. That was a strong point. Just shooting underwater and actually using diver assault gear was new to her. There was a first time for everything. She readied her weapon a little apprehensive until Hesh said, “It’ll be fine. Just smoke ‘em when you see ‘em.”

Sequoia looked at Hesh and he blinked to reassure her. She gave one back to indicate she understood. She held her gun ready as Merrick gave the word to blow the charges. It was like looking at those colored water toys where the sand drips slowly down as the Fed solders dropped into the freezing water. If they weren’t killed by bullets, then the freezing water would get them and that was a slow and painful death. It was better to end it with a bullet.

They fired on everything they saw until the last Fed was down. The blood billowed like a balloon in the water. It was kind of eerie in Sequoia’s view.  Maybe almost ghostly and that wasn’t a joke on her end. There was just something about it.

_We’re clear. Let’s move._

Sequoia followed Hesh as he followed Merrick to where the ice was broken. She could easily pass him but chose not to and follow his lead. Logan was behind her and to the right and Keegan was slightly ahead of him. It was almost like watching a school of fish swimming in the ocean; a nice analogy considering the gear they were in.

_Drop your tanks and get topside!_

One by one the team dropped their loads and headed for the surface. The chunks of ice were thick and they floated much like an ice cube did in a glass of water. It made weird sucking sounds as the chunks floated on the surface. Sequoia felt a pair of hands on her waist and found herself hoisted and she broke the surface. She didn’t have to work to haul herself out so she was ready to fir on the enemy and had her weapon up. When Hesh broke up behind her she extended a hand to haul him out as Merrick hauled Logan out along with Keegan and Kick.

There were a lot of them and they clearly hadn’t expected their entrance. They started to regroup by heading towards the rig. Merrick ended up shouting, “Come on! We need to get on that rig before they dig in! Drop them, don’t’ let them regroup!”

No one needed to be told twice and everyone fired on the Federation soldiers taking them down until it seemed like a deadly silence came over. It was the signal to move forward and head for the rig. Keegan and Merrick took point and were followed by Hesh, Logan and Sequoia covering the rear. Kick was in the middle and the procession moved quietly. For a while it seemed the only thing that was heard was the crunch of the snowy ice under their feet as they moved forward.

“Activity ahead. Twelve o’clock,” Keegan reported and started firing.

“Push forward, they’re falling back,” Merrick said as they pushed forward.

Hesh stayed by Sequoia and covered her. She had taken cover by some crates and was returning fire. She looked small crouched down but she was ready to go. She popped out the spent cartridge and popped in another one while he gave down cover fire.

“Helo coming in! It’s dropping reinforcements!” Kick’s voice came from the far left but the view of the enemy troops dropping in wasn’t a good one. Still Kick and Keegan were giving hell on their end and everyone was doing their part.

Hesh spotted the enemy moving and called out, “Tangos doubling back to the rig!”

“Move up! We have got to get to those catwalks!”

Sequoia fired at the enemy that was attempting to double back. It seemed that this was going to be a hard road in. With Hesh they managed to clear the path for them to move up. The snow was blowing and the moisture was making her snivel a little bit and the snowy ice was clinging to her clothes but the mission was priority.

“Word got to the rig. They’re mobilizing,” Keegan reported.

“A full house,” Sequoia muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “What fun.”

“Thought you were given orders to have fun,” Hesh teased her.

“Screw you,” she replied with a smirk.

“They’re setting up on the catwalks! Come on. Line out,” Merrick bellowed. “Keegan, Kick, you’re on exfil duty.”

“Copy, moving up,” Keegan replied as he and Kick ascended.

Merrick nodded and signaled to the others, “You three are with me.”

“My kind of party,” Sequoia said as she ascended her line. _Yeah this was worth getting off that fucking sub for._


	14. Chapter 14

“Contact!”

Sequoia was suddenly pulled down and covered by Hesh as they were assaulted by gunfire that was thick and heavy. He had pushed her down behind some crates before the bullets splintered and ricocheted above and right into her chest. She struggled but Hesh kept her pushed down until he got off and returned fire. She followed and shot a look but didn’t say anything. She fired her weapon and they continued making their way up to deck two.

The hall had hostiles hiding in the rooms and they had to clear them out. It was fairly easy even though the Fed tried to be sneaky. Sequoia stuck to her side and noticed that Hesh hadn’t strayed too far. It wasn’t oppressive and it felt good; she had become more comfortable being around him. She ended up teasing him, “Is this getting back at me for having fun last time?”

“Something like that. Come on, move up.” It was unnecessary but Hesh tugged on one of her equipment straps to move forward. It was much like it was unnecessary of him to hoist her up when they were underwater but… It was something he did and couldn’t explain except to put down that he was helping a teammate up.

“Let’s move. Someone would have heard that.”

“Like you’re a light foot, old man,” Sequoia muttered as she followed Merrick.

The door was closed and she could hear rapid Spanish on the other side. Merrick looked at Logan and told him to get a breacher on the door. Sequoia kept listening though. She may not be the best with Spanish but she could get along pretty well. She had shown that in the Andes. She watched as Logan fixed the charge to breach the door when she heard it.

“Down!”

Merrick had gone in to shove Logan down but he was grabbed from behind by the waist and pulled back. At that moment the door became riddled with bullets but Logan became acutely aware that he had landed on top of someone and they had their gun pointed at the door the moment the charge had been hit and blew the rest of the door away.

“Door’s down,” Logan heard Sequoia say, “Throw a flash in.”

It was an odd angle since he was on top of her but Logan managed to throw in the flash. He was pushed from behind and instantly on his feet to move in. He turned to see that she had gotten to her feet in a fluid motion that was impressive since they were covered in gear. He said, “Nice move.”

“It’s what I get for learning Spanish,” Sequoia replied as she moved in with Logan. Hesh and Merrick were already in and firing at hostiles. She took out a couple when she noticed one bearing down on Hesh and he was vulnerable in his position. It was automatic for her to reach for the knife she has stuck on her person and dart forward. In a fluid motion she threw it and it hit the hostile dead on. He was the last to go down.

“Close call,” Hesh commented when he realized how close he was to buying it. He looked at Sequoia and grabbed the knife and pulled it out. He handed it back to her with silent thanks.

“I’ll say,” she murmured as she accepted the knife back.

“Eyes and ears. Nice work Hawk,” Merrick said, completely oblivious to the other meaning behind the action.

“Sure thing, old man,” she replied as she followed Merrick down the hall and covered the way. At the end of the hall was the control room they needed for step one.

They burst through the door startling the foreman. He looked pretty freaked out at having four people with their faces covered though he seemed scared of Sequoia the most and her look was nothing like the others. He stammered, “What are you doing?”

Merrick pushed the foreman back and onto the panel while holding him at gunpoint, “Quiet!”

Sequoia just walked in like she was taking a stroll while Hesh and Logan held their guns ready just in case someone decided to get the jump on them. It was odd but she sensed that there was no immediate threat. She wasn’t completely relaxed though since her finger was near the trigger and her hands were gripping her weapon. She stood near the console while Merrick flipped the foreman over and pressed his palm onto the recognition plate and looked at her and said, “Shut it down Hawk.”

Sequoia looked at the console for what she was to press. The foreman was shouting at them as he was struggling against Merrick’s grip. She was checking out the console and activating what she needed when she heard, “No! Don’t do it! You’ll blow the stack!”

Sequoia had opened the cover and the red light cast an eerie shadow over her painted face and she said without emotion, “That’s the idea.” She glanced at the foreman and pushed the button with a decisive movement.

“What are you doing? This place is going to…”

There was a slight pop and the spray of blood. Sequoia looked to see that Merrick had blown the guy’s head off. She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders and adjusted her grip on her rifle as Merrick relayed to Keegan, “Flare stack’s off. Stay clear of the derrick. It’s about to get nasty up there.”

_Roger that. We’re clear._

“Alright, let’s head topside,” Merrick said. He cast a look at Sequoia who was quiet but she was ready to go. He had been reminded of his old friend Charles, her father. She was like him in many ways but she was also different and he realized it once he got over his initial anger from when they first met. He actually didn’t know who she was then until Elias called her by name. Now he did and it was an interesting ride learning what to expect from her.

He turned to open the iron door and said, “Stay frosty. Do not fire until my command.”

The rumbling was indicative that the stack was about to blow. It reminded Sequoia of the tremors of ODIN. She had been in San Diego and had experienced a few earthquakes but the day ODIN struck… that was different. The rumbles on the platform felt the same. It wasn’t exactly numbing but it didn’t make her thrilled either.

“Come on, Hawk.”

Sequoia felt Hesh’s hand tugging on her to keep up. She blinked and followed him up saying nothing about her lapse in speed. She dealt with the rumbles as they reached topside and Merrick raised his hand to indicate that they were to hold fire. She almost jumped when the stack blew and started to collapse. She had her rifle up the moment Merrick yelled, “Weapons free! Go hot!”

There were Feds that hadn’t been killed or injured by the stack blowing hiding amongst the debris and what was left of the buildings nearby. It was funny how certain scenes seemed to blend together. For Sequoia, she saw the different areas when she did wall sweeps and the trenches; that last battle at Santa Monica… and it blended with what she was seeing. She remembered a phrase a CO she had once said: same shit, different day. That’s what it felt like as she pushed forward taking out what the others couldn’t see in order to watch their backs as she followed behind Hesh and she was followed by Logan.

_Merrick, we’ve secured a helo for exfil. Spooling up now._

“Check,” Merrick replied, “We’re two mikes from the command room. Coming up on the north side.” He rounded a few corners in the direction they needed to go in.

_We’ll be waiting for ya._

Explosions and collapsing structured brought on fires and a lot of smoke. Suddenly a door burst open and two Feds came out coughing and staggering. Logan had been behind Merrick and took them out before following the man through the door. Sequoia took a breath as she saw the orange glow of fire and smoke fill the tunnel and let out an involuntary cough.

“Keep low,” Hesh said as he ducked to go under the smoke. “The command center’s up ahead.”

Sequoia got low and followed Hesh. The smoke made everything difficult to see but she stayed right behind him. The only thing she was sure of was his shape and that was how she was able to stay with the group. The smoke and fire along with the darkness made it difficult to see but she focused on Hesh’s shape and kept moving.

“A little slow,” Hesh’s voice she heard.

“Fire and smoke makes me naturally cautious,” she replied in a matter of fact tone. She had a straight face and was surprised she made Hesh almost laugh outright. She added, “You never know.”

“Right,” Hesh said coughing a bit from the smoke. He shouldn’t have laughed and was lucky he stopped himself but smoke got in. He signaled her to move up. “Come on.”

“Okay old man,” she teased since he was coughing.

_Merrick, we’re on station. Ready for targets._

“Copy that. Just keep an eye on us.” Merrick led the way and ran up a set of stairs. “Command center is up ahead. Move it!”

The ground was slick with oil and stuff to quench the flames. It was a wonder that no one slipped and they made it through the area taking out Feds until Merrick spotted MGs on the balcony. They had to take those out otherwise Keegan and Kick would pretty much be shot out of the sky. Sequoia along with Logan and Hesh aimed for the balcony trying to take them out. There were several of them up there and they almost thought that they had it clear until Hesh spotted another one and took him out.

“Keegan, balcony’s secure! You’re clear to engage!”

_Copy. Keegan, light it up!_

It was a sight to see the helo engage and fire on the balcony. Whatever was in there was pretty much dead or on their way dying. It would really be rare for someone to survive that. Sequoia changed a mag out and followed to rally on Merrick who was telling Keegan that they were about to shut off the fire suppression system.

“Logan, I’ll overload the pumps. You maintain the water pressure,” Merrick told Logan as they started heading up the stairs.

That was the cue for Hesh and Sequoia to cover. They kept an eye out while Merrick instructed Logan to keep the pressure in the green. She looked through what remained of the command center. Keegan had done a job on it and she was ready to forgive Kick for the whole thing on the sub. She felt the shudders under her feet indicating that Merrick was shutting down the pumps. The other indicator was the set of explosions for each of the pumps.

The last one was their cue that they had to go and it was perpetuated by Merrick shouting at them to move it. Sequoia was running through the corridor and used the railings to slide down the stairs. She joined Hesh and they followed through as the very big indicator that the thing was getting ready for the grand finale spurred them on.

“Keegan, we’re on our way to the pipe deck.”

_Copy. We’ll stay as low as we can._

That was pretty much saying that they had to get their asses moving, otherwise they were going down with the platform. That and the fact that the structure was coming down faster than they had anticipated. Sequoia ended up falling behind if only to push at Logan who stumbled and fell against the railing. She grabbed his strap and pushed him forward shouting, “Go! Go! Go!”

She followed behind and actually fell to her knees. That slowed her down and she was now further behind and she felt the grating underneath creak and shift. That was just perfect. She got to her feet and rounded the corner in the direction Logan had gone and heard the thing start to collapse and Logan had just grabbed on and Keegan was pulling away; she was going to get left behind.

“Hawk!” Hesh’s voice rang out. The concern was evident.

Sequoia put an extra spurt into her muscles, imagining she was racing her cousin out on the plains. She put everything she had into gaining enough speed. The ledge started to tip and that was reducing the chance she would have to make it but she was determined and she knew she could. She pushed off and flailed her legs for momentum. If she didn’t time it right, she would be buried with the structure in the Drake Passage.

It felt damn good when her hand grabbed on the third to the last rung. Her fingers tightened around it and could feel her nails as she felt her body swoop down as the helo flew away from the structure. She slowly started pulling herself up to get her feet on the rungs and wrappped her arm around to get a view of the platform going down.

_Damn Hawk. You had us worried there._

_Pull that shit again Hawk and I’m clipping your wings._

She chuckled as she replied, “You go ahead and try old man. Call it sheer determination.” She looked at the platform and watched the subsequent explosions take it out. That would definitely take the Federation’s attention away.

_Glad you’re okay Hawk._

She looked up to see Hesh looking down at her. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

****

“We lured the Federation fleet away, but the factory is still guarded by one ship,” Elias said as he looked at the rest of the Ghosts. “A destroyer packed with advanced weaponry. Its air defenses prevent an attack from above but it’s vulnerable in one place… sixty feet below the waterline, near its thermal exhaust port.”

“Water attack, sir?”

Elias looked at Sequoia who was sitting between his boys and nodded. He looked at Keegan and continued, “Keegan, Logan, I’m tasking you with this. Clear us a way to that factory.”

Keegan nodded, “Roger that. We’re going to add one more ship to the graveyard.”

There were a bit more things to discuss in terms of logistics but Sequoia wasn’t paying attention. Her concentration was on Hesh when she felt him tense up beside her. She had been mellow even though they had been on the sub to intercept the ship and that was because she still had access to Riley and after being in the cold water, she felt sluggish. She still felt like that after they got to a different transport to be in position for Keegan and Logan to do their thing since this was going to be their mission.

The moment Elias said that Keegan and Logan were going to do this one, Sequoia felt Hesh move slightly, like he wanted to protest. He actually looked like he was throughout the rest of the briefing but he held it in. She ended up not paying attention to the briefing since it didn’t involve her but focused on Hesh and came to a few conclusions that she was tempted to ask and she considered doing that as long as he didn’t bite her head off.

She was to get her chance when everyone left. She paused when she saw Logan and Hesh approach their father. She got the feeling that it was going to need to be private so she left and shut the door behind her not realizing that Riley had followed her and stuck by her until she saw him when she leaned against the wall near the door. She grinned and said, “Is this your way of saying that you like me?”

Riley gave an appreciative and begging whine for a scratch. Sequoia was only too happy to do it since she did like the dog. She tried not to get too affectionate since he was a Special Forces dog; essentially a working dog. It was hard though since she really liked the animal and well animals in general since they really didn’t judge you like people did. She rubbed Riley’s head and chuckled as he panted happily until his ears pricked up in recognition.

She had heard the footsteps and she said, “Father and son moment, Keegan.”

Keegan grinned when she called him by name. He teased, “Well you’re looking better. Sub wasn’t too bad second time around was it?”

“I still hate fucking subs,” she replied as she straightened up. She felt Riley nose her hand.

“I don’t like them much either,” Keegan replied. He looked at her, not sure what else to say until he asked, “What are you doing out here? Thought you’d hit the sack. Seems all you’ve been doing lately.”

“Cold makes me sleepy,” Sequoia offered with a shrug. “It was the only way to deal with being on the sub.” She glanced at the door and figured it was going to be a while. She asked, “Feel like taking a walk?”

“Little young for me aren’t you?” Keegan grinned at her to let her know that he was teasing her. He got that it was a serious conversation in mind and wasn’t out to hit on her. Truth be told he was more concerned that she would pull a ‘Charlie’ on him.

“Well you could bounce me on your knees and tell me a story,” she teased back. “I love hearing tales from older warriors… old man.”

Keegan couldn’t help but laugh. He nodded, “Alright.” He gestured that she was to lead the way.

Sequoia took his offer and called to Riley to come. The dog came with her and trotted by her side and making an effective barrier between her and Keegan when there was space to walk side by side. He refused to let Keegan come too close even though he knew Keegan was one of them. Sequoia frowned a little at it but wasn’t going to make a fuss.

Keegan wasn’t put out by the dog’s attitude either. He figured out that it had something to do with territory that wasn’t clearly defined. It was interesting to watch and entertaining when Logan decided to stir things up. It would be fine. “So what do you want to talk about?”

“Upcoming mission… if you don’t mind,” she replied as she automatically crossed her arms behind her back.

“I’m not giving you the teacher’s notes since you weren’t paying attention,” Keegan countered in a friendly warning.

“Didn’t expect you to. Don’t really need to know the details now do it?”

“You seem to like to know everything.”

“Only when it concerns me,” she replied with a slight smile. She knew she sounded conceited and for the most part she was hardly that… At least what others thought of her. She sighed slightly and decided to jump right into it, “I just want to ask you something… a favor.” She looked forward and lapsed into silence.

“A favor?”

“I have no right to ask it but…” She paused and thought about how to word what she was saying since it could be made to be taken the wrong way. Finally she said, “Can you keep an eye on Logan for me?”

“You know he’s an adult,” Keegan pointed out. He wasn’t trying to be rude but the request was unusual coming from her and he wondered if he had been wrong in his observations. He had set Kick straight after the poker game incident. Logan had done it to save her from embarrassment. Perhaps he was mistaken.

“I know but…” Sequoia looked off to the side and then at Keegan full on, “It’s just that… he’s a good sparring partner… and I don’t want to deal with a stick up Hesh’s ass.” She rattled it off and felt really off. She was acting like a girl that was nervous asking her daddy for the keys to the car. She hadn’t felt that way since when she was a teenager.

Part of it was because she was concerned for Logan’s welfare. She liked him and they had become good friends the past couple of weeks. He was like an eager young pupil wanting to learn what she knew and she gladly taught him. He had been practicing with his hand axe; she caught him at it when she was wandering around and he showed her to get her mind off being on the sub. The other part was because she was concerned for Hesh. She sensed that if anything were to happen to Logan it would crush him and she didn’t want that.

Keegan looked at her now grasping what she was getting at. His initial observations were correct. He nodded, “I get it, Hawk. I’ll look after Logan… but for you.”

Sequoia frowned a bit at that and said, “I said he’s a good sparring partner and he makes me laugh. That’s it.” She peered at Keegan and asked, “What makes you think…?”

“Let’s just say that you and Logan get along a lot better than you do with most other people,” Keegan replied giving a wave of reassurance. “By the way the captain of the sub said something about a sun drawn on his walls. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that now?”

“No,” she answered automatically.

“Good… cause I think people need a little sunshine in their lives,” Keegan replied dropping the initial stern tone he had taken. “Sunshine on a cloudy day…”

“And I hope that isn’t singing,” Sequoia replied stopping Keegan. “Most people still blame me since they think that it was Riley that did that.”

Keegan laughed with Sequoia. She had mellowed out since she had come aboard. She was still hesitant on some things but she had been drawn out and it was mostly by the Walker boys. He didn’t deny that she was a good soldier. She had watched their backs like a good one would and she toughed things out but… they were getting to see the person she was and it was nice to see. He said, “No one thinks that. But I’ll do what you ask Hawk. I’ll make sure Logan gets back safe and sound.”

“You better extend that to you as well Keegan,” Sequoia said. She was relieved that she could breathe easy. She knew Keegan would look after Logan and Logan would be careful in what he was doing. She continued, “You’re a part of this team too.”

“Alright, alright,” Keegan said as he motioned to placate her. “I’ll be careful too. You’re starting to sound like a bossy mother.”

“Only because I care about the guys on my team,” Sequoia replied with a slight smile. “Thank you Keegan.”

“Gladly,” Keegan replied and he watched Sequoia turn to head back. He started chuckling at the look Riley gave him before moving to follow her.

Sequoia heard Keegan laugh and turned around. She wondered what was so funny since her request was serious business. She asked, “What is so funny?”

“Riley.”

Sequoia frowned and looked at the dog and then back at Keegan. “What about it?”

Keegan was trying hard to control his laughter. He finally got it under control and replied, “Oh just something about protection of territory. Think about it Hawk.” He then turned to leave her to think about it.

Sequoia shook her head at that and looked at the dog. She frowned and then turned to walk back. She was hardly anyone’s territory.


	15. Chapter 15

“You know you’re going to wear a hole in the ground… if that is possible.”

“Fuck you.”

Sequoia looked as Hesh paced like a madman in a circle. He was agitated because it was one time in quite possibly a long time that he was not going on a mission with his brother… scratch that _baby_ brother. She could understand to some degree and she knew that Hesh wasn’t trying to be mean with her and it was kind of like what Carol would say. She grinned a little at his response and then decided to say something that would get his attention, “You wanna watch?”

It worked as intended and Hesh stopped in his tracks. He looked at her and asked, “What?”

“Knew that would get your attention,” she replied as she pushed herself off the wall she had been leaning against. She walked up to Hesh saying, “Now that I have it, may I be allowed to say something?”

Hesh was quiet. He wasn’t even sure he heard right and was at the moment incapable of speech. It was only when she asked him if she could say something that he was able to speak, “What…” His voice cut off still wondering what he had just heard.

Sequoia saw that Hesh was still surprised at what she had just said. She felt her lip twitch in a near smile. She then said, “Well it seems my interference has done the trick.” She sighed as she looked down for a moment to think about what to say. She then said, “I know you’re worried about Logan. It’s a hard thing to sit and watch.”

“What do you know about it Hawk?” Hesh didn’t mean to sound so rude but he was agitated. It was the first in a very long time that he and Logan had been separated. “Do you really know what it is like to sit back while your brother is out there and you have no idea if he’s okay or not?” He took a good look and saw that she was staring at him.

It was a blank look meaning that there was no emotion, no hint of anything she might be thinking. She had done that a couple of times but right now Hesh found it annoying. He had been shifting on his feet and the stare was making him uncomfortable. He thought he could hold out but after a few minutes he got agitated by it more than the silence and he finally asked in an exasperated tone, “Can you stop that?”

Sequoia looked at Hesh. She knew he wasn’t trying to be an ass. She replied, “I really can’t help this look. I started acquiring it when I couldn’t find anything adequate enough to express what I’m feeling. Believe me it pissed even my own people off and I had enough trouble since I am considered outcast for being born a warrior and I don’t even know what the hell that means.” She paused and took a breath. She almost sounded like she was going to start a fight and she didn’t want that… not with Hesh.

The silence that hung was signal enough that she still had the floor. She continued and said softly but firmly, “I know what you are feeling. I don’t have siblings but… where I’m from, as children we are taught to understand that every action affects the tribe. We played together, learned together and fought together. Maybe it’s not the same to you but… just something to think about.” She turned to leave but changed her mind to go lean against the wall she had been leaning against.

Hesh had been made to feel like an ass before but never as many times as he had with Sequoia. He hated that because he actually liked her. He liked her courage and that she firmly believed in what she was fighting for. She was also loyal in terms of the team; she watched their backs to the point where she was in danger of getting left behind… like the platform.

He had noticed that she wasn’t with them and had panicked. He saw her running as the platform was collapsing behind her. Keegan had been pulling away… She was going to be left behind and yet she was still running to catch them. It was like she knew she was going to make it but it seemed to him that she was going to plunge into the abyss of Drake Passage. He had been relieved when she did make it but still…

Realizing she was trying in her own way to help, he said, “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve always looked after Logan and…” He paused when she turned around so that she could face him aware that she wasn’t being that way to be rude but to show respect. “Just I’m sorry,” he finished.

Sequoia looked at Hesh. She had been thinking about what to do since this mission would take most of the day. When he spoke it was automatic for her to turn and give her full attention. She had heard what he said and she could understand. She took in the expression on his face and then asked, “Go for a walk? We can take the kid.” She gestured towards Riley who was panting happily and looked eager to go.

“Okay,” Hesh replied automatically. He liked being in her company.

Sequoia smiled and gestured that he was to take the lead but was surprised when he didn’t move. It was a bit unnerving but she followed his lead and left the room first and she was followed by him after he signaled for Riley to come. She was used to him following when on a mission because she was taking point or she was covering; that was usual. This was casual and a bit different but she liked it and it confused her.

They walked around even there wasn’t much to walk around without getting in the way of day to day operations. Sequoia could see that while Hesh had calmed down some, he was still agitated. She then came up something and said, “Tell me a story.”

“What?” Hesh looked at her as they walked.

“Tell me a story,” she repeated as she returned the look with a slight smile. “Tell me something about you and Logan. One thing and… I’ll tell you something about me and what I used to do as a kid. Fair enough?”

Hesh considered it for a moment and then nodded, “Alright.”

Sequoia nodded, “Okay. I’ll go first. Our pilot on the chopper, Skye… her mother and I are cousins. We used to race on the plains. Sometimes she would win and other times I would. I often think of those times when I have to run.”

“Like the platform,” Hesh prompted.

“That’s one of those times,” Sequoia replied. She reached to give Riley a scratch. “Your turn.”

Hesh gave a slight grin more out of nervousness. “Uh…”

“Your turn,” Sequoia prompted. She smiled to show that she was going to keep pestering him. “You did agree to it.”

Hesh chuckled because he knew she was right. She was a puzzle to him. When they first met she was nice to everyone but in that reserved way. It took a while to see that she had a sense of humor that he liked. “I did. Um… well me and Logan are opposites.”

“I figured that one out,” Sequoia replied with a chuckle. They had come to the common area and it was empty. They wouldn’t be bothered by anyone. “Logan is a quiet one. He would have learned a few things back home.”

“He is quiet,” Hesh replied. His lip twitched in a slight grin. She was prompting him and he was readily agreeing. “In school he was always the one with his nose in a book. Made you wonder how he was able to be the soldier he is.”

“Well being a soldier doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s all brawns and no brain,” Sequoia pointed out with a smile. “Usually it doesn’t matter who is the strongest. My father told me that even if you are strong it doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to use your head. One of things that actually made sense except it got me into more trouble.”

“Sounds like there’s a story or two there,” Hesh replied with a smile. They had sat down on a couch. She was sitting cross legged and looking very comfortable with it. He was sitting facing her and asked, “You mind talking about it?”

“Like I said, I got into trouble with that one.” Sequoia replied as she put her hands into her lap. She sighed and continued, “Let’s just say that I may have been smart but I always ended up in a fist fight one way or another.” She shrugged her shoulders since it wasn’t too important.”

Hesh was going to say something when they were interrupted by a pair of soldiers. One of them looked pretty big and buff and he apparently recognized Sequoia when he said, “Well don’t that beat all. The Echo bitch.”

Sequoia didn’t turn but she responded, “Hello Marcus. Any insubordinations lately?”

Marcus took a step forward with anger in his eyes, “Like I would take orders from a bitch like you.”

“Hey,” Hesh interrupted and looked at Marcus. “Don’t you talk to her like that.”

Sequoia noticed Hesh was using a lot of patience not to outright slug the guy. In fact she could see that he was visibly getting angry. She put a hand out to touch his hand. She was straight as a ramrod and quiet about it so no one noticed. She said, “He isn’t worth it. He has no respect for those who have earned their rank.” She tapped Hesh’s hand to indicate that they should leave and clicked her tongue for Riley.

Hesh wanted to punch the crap out the guy that came in. No one had a right to call her that. He didn’t even care to hear the details; he just wanted to hit something. When he felt her hand touch his, he was still pissed but he calmed down a little. It was electric and… He was ready to follow through when she suggested that they leave. She was right though. Even if the bastard deserved it, he saw her point. Besides it was stupid to get into a fight. He took her cue and stood up with her to walk out with Riley.

Sequoia led the way but was stopped by Marcus when he placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him with a look that was cold and said, “We are leaving. I suggest that you let us pass.”

“You aren’t my commanding officer anymore.”

“But I am still superior,” Sequoia retorted to the sneer Marcus was giving her. She looked at him and said, “Private.” She removed the offending hand and started to walk forward only to have her wrist grabbed. She turned and waved her hand to stop Riley since he started growling. “Remove your hand Private. That’s an order,” she barked.

“Like I would take orders from you,” Marcus growled at her with narrowed eyes. He put pressure on the wrist he was grasping. “You aren’t fit for command… since you let men die.”

Sequoia was quick as she grabbed the offending hand and squeezed. The reaction was instantaneous as Marcus grimaced from the grip. Her features were stoic as she removed the offending hand and slowly moved it in an angle that would be painful. She looked at him and replied, “Your pride has always been your downfall Marcus. It’s why you were removed from the squad. Pity you haven’t learned.” She released him with a throw. She looked at his companion and then at Hesh before turning to leave.

Marcus was on the ground and grabbing his wrist. He glared at her before he got up and charged to take a swing. He had forgotten Hesh was there and ended getting grabbed a right hook across the face forcing Sequoia to pivot in time to see him collapse looking stunned. Hesh was standing between her and the two and he looked ready to get into a fight.

Hesh though didn’t move to take a swing. Instead he looked at Marcus with a look that could kill and said, “Enough. You don’t mess with me or any other Ghost again. This was a warning since you attempted to strike an officer in the presence of another. Next time…” He left it hanging in the air and motioned that they were to leave.

They did with Marcus still glaring. Sequoia watched them leave with a raised brow but her features were stern. She turned back to Hesh and was surprised that he was already there and holding her wrist to examine it. He held it gently in his hands and turned it over. She felt her skin flush on contact and she thought that she was going to blush. She hid it by saying, “See what I mean? I always get into trouble when I try to play smarter.”

Hesh was trying not to chuckle but he couldn’t help it. He examined her wrist, rubbing it with his thumbs and replied, “I can see that. You always this much fun?”

Sequoia gave a slight shrug, “You’ve had to deal with me. What do you think?”

“It’s been good so far,” Hesh replied as he lowered her hand satisfied that there was no lasting damage. There wasn’t even a bruise. His thumb brushed her hand one last time.

“I’m sorry,” she said after taking a moment to wish that the touch didn’t end. Sequoia gave a slight smile and added, “I was intending to help you out and…” She shrugged her shoulder. “Nothing but trouble.”

“Not really,” Hesh replied. In truth, she did help him out. He was still worried but he had trust that Logan knew what he was doing and Keegan would look after him. “I’ve been enjoying myself so far,” he added meaning it. “Maybe… we could pick up where we left off?”

Sequoia couldn’t help but smile at his look. She nodded, “Alright… but preferably somewhere where we won’t get into trouble.”

Hesh chuckled and nodded, “Yeah.” He motioned for her to follow, “Come on. Come Riley.”

****

“I have to ask… how do you do that thing you do with Riley?”

Sequoia stared at Hesh as she adjusted her position. She raised her arms and left her palms open. After the thing in the common area, they wound up in the workout area. Hesh suggested a little bit of sparring and that had her raise her brow a bit but he said that they still had time and that he still had steam to work off.

It was half pace and they really weren’t out to fight or anything. Sequoia agreed to it and they went at it with a few hand to hand exchanges. She was readying for the next one when he asked his question. She replied, “Well… I could say it’s that Indian thing; the whole being in touch with nature thing.” She gave a couple of open palmed strikes in his direction.

Hesh blocked the strikes as she gave them. Even though they were half paced, they still could be felt. He found himself chuckling at her response and was lucky that it wasn’t a full on fight. He countered with strikes of his own and they were blocked. “I guess that’s obvious and old. But seriously…”

“I like animals,” Sequoia offered as she blocked Hesh’s movements. She used the outside of her forearms and then countered with a kick. She was impressed when Hesh blocked it but he also held fast to it so she was forced to balance on one leg. “Horses are my favorite.”

Hesh had managed to grab her leg and hold onto it. He decided to tease her to see what she would do. It was a risk since she could easily hand his ass to him with a well-placed kick. “Still doesn’t explain Riley,” he replied as he held on while she tried to tug her leg away.

Sequoia tugged to try and pull her leg out of the grip but Hesh was holding fast to it. She tugged harder but he wasn’t letting go. She gave a hop to keep her balance and tried again, “Figure out one, you sort of figure them all out.”

Suddenly she had an idea. She gave Hesh a grin and then dropped. Her movement threw Hesh off balance enough and she put her strength into the leg he was holding to bring him down… with a little help from her other leg. “And I once had a dog.”

Hesh took a breath since he was flat on his back. He wasn’t winded but it made a point. “I see your point.” He shoved her leg off and rolled away.

“About what? That I had a dog or that once you figure out one animal, you pretty much figure them all out?” Sequoia stood up at the same time he did and they were looking at each other panting from the exertion. She put her hands on her hip before brushing a loose lock of hair behind her ear and it looked a little silly since it was pretty long. “Well?”

Hesh was panting as he stood up and stretched a little and it managed to look like he was wincing. The soreness from his shoulder and ribs had been long gone but he hadn’t been expecting that drop she did. He looked at Sequoia who was heaving a little and noticed how she had tried to put her hair back but it looked funny behind her ear since it fell out of her braid. He shrugged his shoulders as he listened to her question. He replied, “Do you think you know all animals?” He looked her in the eye.

Sequoia returned the look and studied his pine green eyes, his expression. There was something in his eyes that… It was appealing. It was like finding something of an interesting nature and she was curious and drawn in. She used her time to catch her breath to study it before replying, “Well I’m an animal given my name. We understand each other.” Her voice had become low and soft like she did when she was going hunting.

Hesh looked back at her and noticed the look in her eyes. They took on an almost animal… maybe predatory look. It wasn’t in the bad way either. Her stance… it was like looking at a bird of prey or a hawk. He took a step forward, drawn in by her eyes and replied, “It explains some things… but not all.”

“Some animals are better at hiding. A good hunter knows when the timing is right,” Sequoia replied still holding his gaze as he stepped closer. She wanted him to come closer and she could tell that he wanted to as well.

_With practice, you can learn to read your prey. You can anticipate their next movement, when they will stay, when they will flee, and you must always be ready. It is different when the prey is another hunter though…_

Sequoia remembered that lesson from her father. He was teaching her how to hunt out in the wilderness. At the time she took it to mean the other hunter was shooting something like a mountain lion or a bear. Later it sort of worked when she became a soldier on the front lines but that was… This was different. They were circling…

Hesh was well aware that he was being drawn into something that he probably should back away from but he didn’t want to. He wanted to get closer and see how far he could go before something snapped. “What kind of timing?” He prompted her as he took another step.

Sequoia moved her head slightly and took a step in a careful movement. They still had their gazes locked on one another. It sent a thrill down her spine. It was like anticipating a battle when she used to spar but not quite. She replied in a nonchalant manner but her voice was still low, “Depends.” She took another step and noticed that Hesh moved with her. “A hunter knows how to read the environment around them. It’s not just the prey but the other things.” She made a couple of mock punches and put her palm flat on his chest with just enough power to make a dull thump.

Hesh followed her around and felt the palm hit. It pushed him back a little but her hand was still out and touching his chest. He looked at her and noticed that challenging look creep into her eyes. Her lips twitched into a smile that was… He returned it with one of his own and raised his own hand to run it from her elbow to her wrist and gently flick it aside. He teased, “Does that include risk being seen by the prey?”

Sequoia gave a slight chuckle that was more scoffing, “Oh the best is when the prey doesn’t realize he’s with a hunter.” She stepped back and held her hands ready to strike. Her eyes never leaving Hesh.

It was a dangerous game and Hesh knew it. Yet he wasn’t going to turn tail and run. He gave a slight nod and started forward with a series of punches. She blocked them, never once taking her gaze off of him and danced out of his way. He gave a nod of approval and moved to a different position since she didn’t move. Her head turned to follow him and she was poised, ready to fly. He jumped forward and she moved so he blew right past her but he pivoted to give a backhand and felt the sting of her claws.

Her fingers had twisted in the sleeve of his shirt and she ripped it at the seam. He looked at it and then looked at her. She gave a look with a smirk and said, “All things.” She was ready to go another round and her gaze taunted him to the point where he looked at her and moved like he was going to circle again.

Sequoia looked at Hesh watching his movements. Her body moved as he did but like the bird of prey she was named for, her movements were fluid and still. He was circling, his posture strong and coiling to charge forward. She attacked first swooping in with a combination of punches aimed at different points on his body until he caught her with a hit on her shoulder. She rubbed it and grinned, “Not bad when the hunter learns.”

The next volley had Sequoia put more movement in. She twisted her body and moved her limbs to avert and swoop in like a hawk going for the kill. It was unexpected when Hesh grabbed both her wrists and held them in front of her and forced her close until they were…

Hesh had watched and anticipated the right moment and reached out to grab first her right and then left as they moved in. He held fast to them to bring her in close. She had flown away last time. This time he caught her. He moved his face closer until they were mere centimeters apart and still looking at each other in the eye. He was seized with a sudden impulse and went with it. “I’m a fast learner,” he breathed so it touched her cheek before he swooped and planted a hard kiss on her lips before letting her go.

That attack caught Sequoia off guard. It made her feel heady and the thrill she had felt earlier… She didn’t know what to make of it and went with the first reaction. She narrowed her eyes and then attacked. She increased her speed and played a few new moves until she had Hesh by the throat and against the wall. Her hand actually wasn’t on his throat but her thumb was in perfect position to apply pressure to where the Adam’s apple was while her fingers were splayed in a grip on the side of his neck with her first finger right on the jaw. She had him pinned by twisting his right across his chest and applying her weight to keep him from moving. She stared him in the eye and he stared back with no fear.

_When a hunter ‘hunts’ another hunter, it is not a hunt but a dance. It is a dance of warriors…_

Sequoia adjusted her position to keep the pressure on as she looked at Hesh with a scrutinizing eye. Her first finger twitched as she felt the stubble on his jaw and slowly she rubbed her thumb on his Adam’s apple. It was meant to be teasing in that she could go in for the kill. She rubbed her thumb and could feel his body twitch and she leaned in close to peer at him before she leaned in to whisper, “And a hunter always learns… to be ready.”

“Ready for what?” Hesh was pinned and couldn’t see her face but could feel her breath in the side of his neck. Her thumb was on the part where the hollow would be and she was rubbing it. It had him twitching since he felt the slightest bit of pressure and was well aware she could apply more if she wanted to. He looked ahead and blinked as he waited for her answer.

“For the unexpected,” Sequoia whispered letting her breath tickle his neck before she stepped back and released him. Her hand around his neck was the last thing she let go.

She didn’t get far since Hesh grasped her wrist gently and held fast. He looked at her and she looked at him, their eyes locked onto each other. Sequoia was feeling a bit heady from that but… she liked it. It was dangerous and yet she liked it. Hesh was thinking along similar lines as he held her wrist and gently tugged to try and get her to come closer and she took a step forward to close the distance between them. They were still staring until she said, “Another day,” and slowly slipped her hand free and turned to leave.


	16. Chapter 16

“You did what?”

Hesh looked at his brother sitting on the edge of the medical cot and replied, “You heard me. I… kissed her.”

Logan couldn’t help but laugh even though his ribs hurt like a bitch. He had been extremely lucky when the lighthouse he and Keegan had been hiding in collapsed after they brought down the enemy ship. A piece of it landed on top of him and pinned him across his chest and his arm and his air tube got knocked loose. In short he had been hit and hard.

He ended up with a couple of bruised ribs and his wrist was sore. They said the bones were bruised and not broken. The water had slowed the rate of descent enough so he wasn’t crushed. He and Keegan were both checked out since they had to endure sonic blasts and depth charges. He thought he swallowed a mouthful of water when his tube came loose but at least Keegan got to him on time.

Getting out was hard since the Feds decided to send down divers. So they had to shoot their way out and it attracted a bunch of fucking sharks. Logan, being the bookworm and nerd remembered that sharks were drawn to blood and he was a prime candidate for shark food. His wrist had been cut during his struggle and he had leaked a red balloon.

He had hardly been reassured since he had managed to patch himself up before he followed Keegan through those Fed divers. He had been wary when they had to swim through the circling sharks and thought about suggesting that they go around. He knew Keegan was aware of his injuries; the man had been hesitant too but he wouldn’t have suggested if there was no choice. So they swam through even though Logan had been starting to fade.

They made it to the rally point and the choppers picked them up but he had been too sore to care. His chest had hurt and he was feeling something on his abdomen. His wrist hurt and he felt a little sick from the water he must have swallowed. Then again Keegan was feeling a little sick from the sonic blasts and had waited until they were back at base to admit it.

The first thing that happened was Keegan pushing him to the infirmary. It was a good thing too because he was ready to collapse and it didn’t help that Hesh had seen him and started acting hysterical. Logan hadn’t seen his brother when the medics started to treat him and Keegan and figured that they had to restrain him. What did happen was Sequoia marching in like she was in charge. The medics tried to get her to leave but… Logan had seen the look in her eye and so did the medics. They said nothing and she did nothing unless they needed a pair of hands; it was a suitable arrangement though Logan was sure that his dad was going to hear about this.

In no time he and Keegan were looked over and told to rest and Sequoia was still there. She was tying up his wrist and talking to Keegan. She said, “I see you kept your word Keegan. Thank you.”

“You asked, Hawk.”

“Yes and you were lousy at keeping up the other part,” she replied with a slight smile as she finished wrapping up Logan’s wrist.

Keegan chuckled and stood up to leave. “That’s the thanks I get? Then you’re on your own with this pup,” he said as he gestured at Logan who was scowling at him. He coughed a bit since he was still getting used to normal air.

She ended up teasing Keegan and sent him on his way with a suggestion to drink some tea and that it would help for the wheezing of an old man. It had him and Logan laughing and Keegan taking her word for it. He left them alone and that was when Logan noticed that something was different about her.

Logan knew something was up when he started talking to her and asked her what she did while he was gone. She didn’t quite answer except to say that she kept busy. He took an assumption and went with it saying that he was glad she was around to keep Hesh from going crazy. Her reaction was unexpected in that she paused and then tried to change the subject. She then left saying that his brother should have calmed down enough by now leaving Logan with questions and the first thing he said to Hesh when he came in was, “What the fuck did you do?”

That was where they were now. Hesh had told him that Sequoia had spent the entire mission trying to keep him occupied by just talking. Then Logan asked, “So you went from almost beating the crap out of a private to sparring with her? Seriously?”

“Just an idea,” Hesh said as he looked at the wall like it was the most interesting thing in the room. “She was trying to help me out like I did by letting Riley sleep with her while on the sub. It worked.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“What the fuck did you do to her?”

“Nothing. Just the sparring got a little out of hand and… I kissed her.”

When Logan asked Hesh to repeat what he had said, he knew he had heard exactly what Hesh said. He just wanted him to repeat it. He took in the sort of sheepish expression as he sat up. He was told to rest but he was going to do it outside the infirmary. After Hesh repeated himself, Logan couldn’t help but laugh. He had been wondering how long it would take for that to happen.

“It’s not funny, stupid,” Hesh said a little more sharply than he intended.

“Damn right it is,” Logan replied as he stood up. He winced from the movement as he grabbed his t-shirt to pull it over the bandages on his chest and abdomen since he had abrasions that hadn’t made themselves known until the medics started poking and prodding. “Considering how you managed to do nothing but stick your foot in your mouth with her because you like her and don’t want to admit it.”

Hesh looked at Logan and replied, “That is the stupidest piece of shit I ever heard.”

“Is it?” Logan looked at his brother. If he wasn’t feeling like a piece of shit at the moment he would have said more and probably got into a scuffle. “You’re the one that didn’t like it when she called you sir all the time.”

“That was… It made me want to turn around and look for Dad,” Hesh retorted. He looked at his brother who looked like he was ready to laugh at him. “You really are…”

“Hey I point out the truth big brother,” Logan replied as he fixed his shirt. “Now I’m not the one that watches her when she isn’t looking.”

“Just watching out for her.”

“Uh huh.” Logan looked at his brother like he was being an idiot. He decided to drop the hard ball on him. “Like when you thought she was not going to make it off the platform?”

Hesh looked sharply at Logan. He was going to say something when Logan shook his head at him to indicate that he knew what he was going to say and he wasn’t going to buy it. So Hesh grew frustrated since he couldn’t do anything to his brother since he had the feeling _she_ would find out and scold him. “Alright… I do like her.”

“Yeah we all like her, Hesh,” Logan replied. He was really pushing it with Hesh. “I like her. So what?” He shrugged his shoulders even though the movement didn’t do him any favors. “I swam with sharks and that only garnered sympathy from a friend.”

“I _like_ her, okay?”

Logan heard the inflection in his older brother’s voice and replied, “Okay. So… what are you going to do about it?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

Hesh gave a look and indicated silent if Logan was ready to leave and if he needed help. He didn’t say anything when Logan started moving on his own and headed towards the room they were sharing to catch a few hours before phase two. It was a silent walk until Hesh finally said, “I think I screwed things up by doing that.”

Logan shook his head at that. “No, you didn’t but you will if you don’t figure out what you’re going to do. Take a hint: talk to her.”

“Like that goes over well. The last time it ended up I don’t know and I kissed her… she pinned me and it was like she wanted to do the same.” Hesh shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “It was… like I don’t know but…” He sighed not sure of what he wanted to say about it. He knew it was a dangerous game and walked right in and now… He did really like her and he disliked the fact that Logan had caught him watching her.

From the beginning things had been a little off. At first he thought it was because she was just being a pain in the ass. You couldn’t get into a fight with her and she had a way of making you wonder if she sassed you or not. She had a way of springing surprises on you and she had a nice voice. It didn’t matter if she was pissed at you, sharing something about herself or making a comment about Merrick being an old man and when she sang… Hesh found that he liked that about her and he really liked her but the way he acted… She was different. He wasn’t stupid; she was like a wild animal in terms of her personality or spirit. He liked it and he was concerned that he broke that.

Logan glanced at his brother and could tell that he was deep in thought. “She got to you like I knew she would.”

“Shut up,” Hesh countered. He was more angry at himself. While he had been restrained by Merrick and Kick, she had slipped by and made sure Logan was okay and then when she came out saying he was fine… she couldn’t really look at him. He leaned against the wall and looked at the ceiling. “I fucked up Logan. I really do like her and I kissed her because I wanted to but… I think I… broke her.”

“I don’t think so,” Logan replied as he leaned against the wall so he was side by side with his brother. “I may not have gotten chapter and verse about what you two did but… I think she likes you too.”

“No. You said it yourself: I stick my foot in it.”

“Well what do you want from me?” Logan pushed off the wall to go into his room. Sometimes you just had to kick Hesh along. “Like I said the last time. You ever want to know where you stand with Hawk, you ask her. She’s not like the girls we knew back home. She may talk riddles but she doesn’t play games. She’s a hunter, Hesh. Think about it.” He opened the door to his room and went in. He added before he closed the door, “Wake me when we have to gear up.”

Hesh let the door slam in his face. Well it wasn’t a slam but it might as well have been one. He sighed as he put his back to the door and leaned on it. He was quiet with his thoughts as he mulled over his talk with Logan. His brother could be a pain in the ass but he was always the one that seemed to see things even when there was chaos. They really were opposites and while that could have been a recipe for disaster, it actually was their bond as brothers. They complemented each other with their strengths and weaknesses. Then there was Hawk.

At first and probably on some level, he saw her as a threat to what he and his brother had. It was why he acted recklessly in antagonizing her. Yet when that son of a bitch Marcus… he wanted to rip the guy in two. Then there was Merrick when she pissed him off. He wanted to protect her. During missions he stayed by her even though he suspected she was under orders from Merrick to watch his back like at Blackbird. She never left him on that mission even afterwards when she accompanied him to take care of his hand. He then started seeking her out and he liked being with her. They didn’t have to talk since they enjoyed the silence…

Shaking his head, Hesh gave a slight smile and muttered, “You are a pain in the ass, Logan.”

Seeing that it was pointless to just stand there, he decided to do what Logan suggested in his pain in the ass little brother way. He took a breath and started walking. It may take time unless. He stopped by his room and found Riley snoozing and beckoned him to come. That might make things easier. He just hoped that things would work out.

****

“I heard about what you did.”

Sequoia looked up from her work. She had stripped down her weapon and was giving it a thorough cleaning and to make an adjustment since something seemed off about it. It was mundane but it would keep her busy since she needed time to think and clear her head. She saw that Elias was standing there watching her. She replied, “People hear a lot of things about what I did or didn’t do. What is it this time?”

Elias wanted to smile and his lip twitched at that. He didn’t though since he noticed that something was off even though she was trying to hide it behind working with her weapon. He also knew that the medics were pissed about what she did even though they said that they weren’t going to take issue with it. He replied, “That business in the infirmary. Did you really threaten to throw the medic out after calling him a butcher?”

Sequoia gave a dry chuckle. She hadn’t said _that_. “I didn’t say that.” She picked up the gun and the screwdriver to make her adjustment.

“What did you say?”

Sequoia glanced at Elias to see that he was staring at her like a parent would when they were trying to get to the bottom of things. Her father was not really like that. He gave you the silent treatment until you felt guilty enough to confess. She looked back down and replied, “I said that they were hurting Logan and asked if they were butchers or doctors.”

It had been the truth. She had been wandering around trying to clear her thoughts about what happened in the workout room when there was a commotion. As it turned out Hesh was trying to get in to see Logan and was making a scene right outside the infirmary. Merrick and Kick were holding him back and she had assessed the situation and concluded that Logan was hurt and judging by Hesh’s reaction it wasn’t a simple scratch.

She didn’t like seeing Hesh suffer but she knew that if he didn’t calm down they would do worse like give him a sedative. So she walked forward and asked what was going on and got the details. It was then that she asked Hesh to calm down. He tried to fight her on that but she repeated the last words she said to him earlier and he calmed down. Merrick and Kick weren’t inclined to let him go anytime soon so she gave a slight nod and walked in.

The medics tried to shoo her out but she persisted. Logan was getting some splinters taken out of his wrist and it looked nasty with the bruising and he was trying hard not to cry out. She took over removing the splinters and merely had to give a look to keep them off her back. That was after she asked them if they were doctors or butchers. They let her work and she took care of Logan and didn’t mind that his shirt was off.

The bruises and abrasions were one thing. The bruised ribs were another. In short he looked like he had been a punching bag for whatever they did. In fact she asked him, “What the fuck did you do to yourself?”

It got stares from the medics who were monitoring the vitals for Keegan and Logan but they ignored them. Keegan was a little wheezy and trying not to throw up. It was a result from the sonic blasts that had been shot down there. Logan couldn’t help it and threw up and that was because he had been hurt. She took care of it and ‘clucked’ at them as Keegan put it until she said he was good and suggested tea for the wheezing.

Then Logan had to ask what she did and she wasn’t too sure how to answer it. She tried to play it off and change the subject especially when he thanked her for making sure Hesh didn’t go crazy. Inwardly she thought she screwed that plan up. She had been drawn in by Hesh, had been since day one. He confused her and made her feel like she was… It was different. He forced her to open up the things she didn’t let other people see with rare exceptions like Carol and Logan and the very secret things that she never shared with anyone. It was like he brought her true nature out.

She managed to get out before embarrassing herself but she knew that Logan would pick up on it. She told Merrick and Kick that it was okay to let Hesh go and that Logan was fine. She managed to catch a glimpse of Hesh even though her lead was lowered and it appeared that her gaze was averted and he was looking at her and it was almost like a wounded puppy look but she just couldn’t look right at him now. She went with the next best thing and that was to make sure that her weapon and gear were ready while they got into place for phase two. It was here that Elias found her and found that she could use some ‘parental’ advice but she just didn’t know how to ask for it.

“Well that would have them wanting to report you but they are declining,” Elias said as he looked down at her.

Sequoia finished what she was doing and replied, “I didn’t disrupt too much.”

Elias thought she sounded like a child what was trying to justify behavior and smiled gently at that. “They couldn’t complain too much. Before you came along both were kicking up a storm and Hesh was trying to break down the door.”

“Just needed a moment to assess the situation and decide on a course of action.” Sequoia started picking up the various pieces and putting the weapon back together. “Sometimes one needs to sit back and assess; remain in position until you’re sure and then…” A piece clicked into place and she had pulled back to lock and load.

“Sounds like you’re going hunting.”

Sequoia felt her lip twitch and her eyes darted forward. She was lucky her head was pointed down to do final checks of her weapon otherwise… She replied in a calm voice, “It’s how I look at most things, sir.”

Elias watched as she put her weapon on the table and sit back. He wanted to know what was going on but he didn’t want to back her into a corner and have her shut down either. Still he knew the best way was to ask a direct question. He asked, “Is that how you really look at things or when you don’t want to let people see the person you are?”

“Maybe a little bit of both,” Sequoia replied after a slight pause. She then looked up at Elias. “Maybe I just don’t want to get hurt anymore. Seems like after ODIN I keep losing people… granted that I actually found I didn’t lose them.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know.”

Elias pulled up a chair to sit across from Sequoia. He probably should get going to prepare but she was his goddaughter. Like he would with his boys, he sensed that all was not right in the world. “What don’t you know?”

Sequoia thought about it. The real answer was between her and Hesh. There were also minor things that seemed related. “Just… like how to deal when you know things have changed. My world I guess fell apart with ODIN and my first reaction was to strike back and hard. I joined up and now I’m here. The funny thing is that _I’m_ the one that is considered the patient one.”

“I’d say you were,” Elias allowed. “Hawk that was a first reaction. Once in you did exactly what I knew you would do and what your father knew you would do. I don’t understand it the way you do but… you know the meaning of consequences. That and you seem to sense when things might not go according to plan. It’s what makes you who you are.”

“Keegan and Logan seemed to understand that,” Sequoia replied with a slight smile.

“And the others,” Elias prompted. “Remember that your father fought with us before.” He gave a grin and added, “So we know a bit about how you Lakota Sioux think. Charles almost likened it to a hunt at times but that was the best way he could express how things were done in his world.”

“Sounds like the kind of thing that Rorke would pick up on,” Sequoia replied, not sure why she brought it up. “That and observation.” She grew thoughtful at that.

_It is different when two hunters hunt each other. Neither will be the first to admit submission. They will circle and attack…_

Sequoia looked at Elias as she thought about what her father used to say to her. It had been part of that same conversation she had remembered with her… whatever it was with Hesh. This part had her thinking about their situation with Rorke. Even though she had pushed it to the back of her mind, it was always lingering. She also thought about the events that had happened and what could happen. She thought about what to say and then asked, “Do you think or believe in coincidences, Elias?”

Elias was taken aback for a moment but he was astute enough to see that her question was not exclusive to her current think about Rorke. It was part of the thought process she was going through. He knew because Charles used to do the same thing. He was honest and replied, “I believe in being in the moment, facing what is in front of me. Why? What about you?”

Sequoia blinked for a moment and thought about something. She ended up giving a slight smile and replied, “My father used to say that there are no coincidences; that everyone is placed on a path of their choosing or sometimes fate chooses it and that things happen as a result of those choices no matter how small or unimportant. Sometimes you may get lost or it is not always clear. Somehow I think he was just trying to teach me chaos theory or something.”

“He was always one to read philosophy,” Elias admitted. He gave a slight chuckle. “He certainly liked proving stereotypes wrong.” He looked at Sequoia and she was giving a slight smile at the thought. He sobered though and added, “But he was always adamant about being who he was. Actually with people in general it was more along the lines that all choices have to be the ones that you would live with and to not deny who you are.” He reached over and patted her hand and added, “Don’t be afraid to show who you are Hawk. When it really counts you’re going to need it.”

Sequoia looked at Elias as he stood up to leave. He told her to catch a couple of hours or relax and then left. She turned to stare forward with her hands folded on the table, her fingers touching her rifle. They started tapping as she stared to think. She was only brought out of her thoughts when she heard a slight whine. She looked to see Riley looking up at her and something was attached to his collar. She frowned as she picked at it and found that it was a note and read it. She looked at Riley and he lolled his tongue at her in a doggy smile. Her lip twitched and she stood up and said, “Okay. Lead the way Riley.”


	17. Chapter 17

_And through it all, hanging over me like a black cloud, was Rorke._

_We had destroyed an oil platform, lured an entire fleet away, sunk a destroyer, and still I am wondering one thing… Where’s Rorke? Here? Ahead of us? Waiting? He’s that good. A Ghost… What happened to him?_

_It was not just me that black cloud is hanging over but her… Hawk. It wasn’t difficult to see that Rorke looked at her differently than any of us. It has me wondering if he knew what I see when I look at her; how… special she is. If that is the case, then I will do what I have to do…_

Hesh looked over at his brother as he was getting prepped for phase two. He was ready to go and had taken a few moments to write in his journal. He had that thing since he joined up and they were mostly thoughts; a means of relieving anxiety before a battle or mission or last minute fears. He hadn’t written in it for a few years but when this business with Rorke came up… as he wrote it was like a black cloud over them.

“Hey, you two awake? Let’s go.”

Hesh turned to see Sequoia sticking her head through the door looking like she was going go in and kick them out literally if they didn’t move of their own volition. Her war paint was on and perfect like the first mission they did together and her hair was tucked back into that braided coil she wore; she really did look like a Ghost.

He held her gaze and the look in them; he knew it was for him alone and he felt the desire to just put her somewhere to be safe. Deep down though he knew that he couldn’t because that would hurt her just as bad as Rorke, God forbid, ever hurt her. And the truth was he liked her for who she was and he had made that clear.

Logan had just finished putting on the last of his paint and said, “Cut me some slack Hawk. I’m wounded.” He grinned at her with a slight pathetic look.

“I did,” Sequoia replied as she grinned back but there was a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “I gave you five seconds longer than usual.” She hung on the door chuckling at Logan. She glanced at Hesh who was enjoying the fact she was ‘picking’ on his little brother. “So I ask again, are you awake or just being lazy?”

“Now I know the rumors of Echo Three were right,” Logan replied with a grin. He picked up his gun and replied, “Good to go. Just gotta wait for this guy to finish writing his memoirs.” He gestured at Hesh who was finishing something in his journal.

“Shut up,” Hesh replied as he finished what he was doing. He closed the journal and tucked it into his uniform. “Pain in the ass.”

“My calling in life,” Logan replied as he exited the room.

“And chasing me like a cute puppy,” Sequoia added. She laughed when Logan shot her a wounded look and patted his shoulder. It turned into a soft hum when Hesh came out. She said nothing when he touched her hand with his finger with a gentle brush across the back of her hand. She did share a look with him before they started walking to deploy and thought about earlier.

She had followed Riley, per the note, and the dog led her to what looked like an empty office. Her initial thoughts told her it was a trap but her gut and hunter instincts said that it wasn’t a threat and she didn’t consider it one since Riley was panting at her obviously thinking that he did a good job. She wasn’t certain why there but she gave him a scratch and said that he was a good boy. She was to find out when Hesh came in sort of pretending that he was looking for Riley. She understood right away why he used Riley and she said, “A good hunter knows how to lure out his prey.”

“More like to… lure out another hunter,” he had said almost like he was embarrassed to say it.

Sequoia watched as he quietly shut the door. She knew it was for privacy but he seemed a little nervous doing that. She was nervous herself but it was because she was in the presence of someone like herself; a hunter. She studied him and he was standing there looking at her and he stepped away from the door to stand in front but a slight distance away. He stood tall and firm and determined to get out what he had to say.

_It is different when two hunters hunt each other. Neither will be the first to admit submission. They will circle and attack…_

Sequoia ended up meeting his challenge and straightened up. That heady feeling that she liked from earlier started to return. She replied, “Daring to go after a hunter. They can be full of surprises.” Her voice was low and calm like earlier. “So the question comes to be whether or not you expect the unexpected.”

Hesh looked at her and he ended up swallowing slightly if only to find his voice. He said, “I know I can. Can you?”

_When a hunter ‘hunts’ another hunter, it is not a hunt but a dance. It is a dance of warriors…_

Sequoia ended up moving closer and again Hesh followed her movements but it wasn’t like earlier.  True it was like earlier but much softer. Two hunters who had ‘fought’ before were meeting again only this time a little more wary. She replied, “It’s what I try to do. I don’t see everything.”

“Me neither,” Hesh replied as he followed her movements. He then stopped pacing and stood there holding her gaze as he found what he wanted to say, “Listen, Hawk… I want you to know that I didn’t mean to hurt you or make you feel uncomfortable…”

Sequoia gave him the respect of listening but she was also studying him. He was still studying her. It was actually a cover for what she had time to think about and what she felt. She was drawn to him and it was…

_My little Hawk, when two hunters meet one of two things will happen. Submission or fight. True hunters will never submit. They will circle and fight…_

She looked at him as she heard her father’s words in her mind and said, “It wasn’t uncomfortable.”

“You don’t have to hide it,” he said. He had said it firmly like when he was trying to hold his temper but it wasn’t like that. He was trying to find a way to get his point across. “I want the truth because I really like you and it would hurt if I did something to you.”

_It is not a hunt but a dance. It is a dance of warriors… but that is for when a hunter meets his match. But when a hunter meets his equal in all things… it is different…_

Sequoia couldn’t say anything at first but she realized that she had gotten really close to Hesh… or he had gotten close to her. They hadn’t broken eye contact since this had started and she could see the pine green of his eyes. It was like looking into nature itself… like he had sprung from it or something. As ridiculous at the thought seemed, it made sense to her; she could see that which she drew upon her nature. She would never be able to explain it but she could explain that beneath the soldier was a man that had gentleness rolled in with loyalty, steadfastness, the desire to do right even if he was a bit quick and rash with his temper but that was because he cared.

Finally she said, “I am not hiding. Sometimes a hunter has to be out in the open. Only then his true nature is seen.” She kept her gaze on him and studied his features. Like her expression, his was neutral but his eyes betrayed his emotions if one knew how to look.

_When a hunter meets his equal in all things it is no longer a fight._

They were standing very close now. Sequoia felt the familiar twitches she did when she moved her body to take in the sights. Hesh’s movements were much smoother but slight and, to make a comparison, were like when Riley would inspect something. He breathed, “It sounds risky but… it’s like you said about expecting the unexpected.” He paused and then repeated, “I really do like you Hawk.”

_There are no such things as coincidences little Hawk. We are makers of our destiny but we all have a purpose and a path in many things. Sometimes it is clouded but when the path clears… suddenly other things become clear such as when one finds their equal…_

Sequoia knew then what she felt but like a hunter she was cautious and he was too. It was a new territory for the both of them. She then said, “I really like you too.”

It was slow and tentative but… Hesh moved first and slowly bent his head and she ended up raising hers and their lips pressed together. She felt him press a little harder and she felt his hands slowly wrap around her waist. Her arms wrapped around his neck as they continued to kiss. Hesh had broken it first and almost seemed hesitant but gave her another on her lips before pressing his temple against her and whispered in her ear, “I like you Sequoia.”

It was the first time he had called her by her American name. She liked how it sounded coming from him and she could hear the rumbling from his chest when he spoke. She ended resting her head on his chest saying, “I like you David.”

They had ended up staying there for a little while. They ended up having to leave when Riley indicated he needed to do what dogs needed to do. It was nice just walking in silence with each other. Occasionally they talked about something but it wasn’t really important. They enjoyed each other’s company until they had to gear up. It left Sequoia feeling like she was back home and feeling the wind on her face or like the thrill of rappelling down… it was like walking on air.

As she walked with Hesh and Logan down the hall to deploy, she felt whole. Thinking about it, she hadn’t felt that way in a long time. There were still some things she wasn’t sure about but at this moment it felt good. In a good way, she felt free; she was free to be who she was. Hell it made her feel like she could take on the whole Federation… within reason. Now was the mission and she was ready.

They got to their transport and they crowded in. Sequoia sat in between Hesh and Logan and idly plucked his right wrist to give a cursory examination for the sheer hell of it and she was concerned about the splinters she had pulled out and it had some nasty bruises. She gave a smirk when Logan shot her a look and took his wrist away while saying, “Quit clucking Hawk.”

Sequoia smirked at Logan and teased, “I think you have your birds mixed up.”

“Shut up,” Logan retorted as he leaned back and adjusted his position. He was smirking as well and he rubbed his wrist. “You’re a pesky bird. Doesn’t matter what kind.”

“I hope it’s not a seagull. Those things are mean.” Sequoia was chuckling at the reference she had made. She could hear Hesh chuckling next to her.

“The only mean thing here is you,” Logan retorted as he teased her, “A mean clucking Hawk.”

Sequoia gave a slight punch to Logan’s thigh. She would have done the shoulder but he was still sore. He wouldn’t admit it to her or anyone but she could play nice. At his look she said, “Still think I’m a mean Hawk?”

“Oh much worse,” he replied with a grin.

“Alright you idiots cut the chatter,” Merrick’s voice cut in.

The conversation turned to a serious note as Merrick relayed their objective about the factory. Hesh listened to Merrick and thought about other things and his thoughts drifted back to the apprehensions he had and his thoughts about Rorke. He couldn’t help but think that he might show his face but the worst thing now was what the Federation wanted with that factory. He glanced at Sequoia and he could tell she was thinking about the mission. That was the thing about her; she would garner that focus and just go. So they were heading into that factory.

_There was something in that factory, something the Federation never wanted us to see. And we are about to find out exactly what it is…_

****

_You got two contacts approaching low._

Sequoia moved forward with Hesh through the jungle. She bent low through the foliage letting the leaves rub gently over her shoulders and back. Her eyes were narrowed as she slunk forward, seeing the two that Keegan saw. She could also see Logan and Merrick heading right towards them to take them out. She couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride at Logan for his execution.

The rain was coming down but it didn’t bother her in the least. It had become an expected thing considering that it was the jungle. Sequoia did have to laugh inwardly at the fact that she went from city life to a fucking sub to snow and now rain. It was definitely just one of those things to laugh at. She wasn’t even going to count the fact that Santa Monica was a beach and she felt like she was living the invasion of Normandy every time she had walked the damned trenches. As she once thought of before, the battles and places tended to blend together.

_Scarecrow, we’ve got eyes on the factory._

_Roger. Make your way into Black Zone._

It was like being a child again running through the foliage. The place was different but the feeling was the same. Then it was about moving in to execute a plan. The plan then was to actually hunt something. She couldn’t remember what but it was for the tribe and a test for them. This wasn’t that much different. She ran on the balls of her feet and it gave her momentum and she was quitter through the foliage.

_Keegan, we’re at Entry A._

It was time to move and Merrick gave the order to regroup at RV. Sequoia leapt down and landed on her feet solid and moved forward to clear for Hesh. Once he was down they made their way to the point and met up with Keegan, Merrick and Logan just as Logan took out a guard. Merrick started relaying orders and she followed keeping it light but also ready to go.

_We’re moving left to infil and then to Black Zone._

_Targets ahead. Hawk, Logan, on you._

Merrick didn’t need to say anything else. Sequoia was already moving forward quietly. Her weapon was not even up. She went around and found the other one and pounced. She grabbed him from behind and gave a hard twist snapping the neck. She checked and it was all clear with Logan having taken down the other with his gun. She walked with a firm stride but it still could be taken like she was going for a casual stroll.

“Grabbing his security badge,” Hesh said as he pulled the badge from the dead guard. “Got one.”

“On the door,” Merrick said, “Hawk, you know what to do.”

Sequoia grabbed her rifle and moved to a cover position. She scanned the darkness for any sign of the Federation. This thing could go south if they were compromised this early in the game. She glanced at the area. The factory was out in the middle of the jungle but the appearance was like that it had been plucked out of one of the warehouse districts in the US and then plunked right down. It could even be said that it was a clichéd look from old movies where the big fight took place in a warehouse or abandoned factory.

“Opening,” Hesh said when he got the door to open.

Sequoia turned to see two tangos at the door. Their backs were too them. Either they were too complacent and just assumed or they were just stupid. Either way they were taken down without much trouble and the group moved in.

“Keep your eyes out. You especially Hawk,” Merrick said, “Kick, how are those cameras coming?”

_Merrick, eyes on your next zone. Lots of targets. No good advantage._

“We’ll make our own advantage,” Merrick replied. He led the way into the next section to the gate. He ascertained the situation. “Multiple routes. Split up. Sweep and clear.”

As soon as the gate was open they took different routes. It was like a maze of catwalks. Hesh stayed on the path he was on but when he turned, he found that Sequoia had taken another way. His eyes roved upward just because and he saw that she had gone higher and looking around. _Eyes in the sky_ , he thought and moved forward. He took out one and called, “Flashlight’s out.”

Sequoia had gone up. She climbed a few structures to get higher up and gain some vantage point. She moved around and saw a tango coming up where Merrick was and from behind. It was a casual walk but it could turn deadly. She aimed through the sights and fired, dropping him. She said, “Saved your bacon old man.”

_Do your job Hawk. Let’s move._

She couldn’t help but grin as she moved from that spot and scanned the area as she moved. She found a couple of more and took them by surprise. One was patrolling and she took him out with a shot. The other she pursued until she was forced to climb down. He was coming up on Hesh’s right and she stuck by knifing him in the neck. She looked at Hesh and said, “Top clear.”

_Bottom clear._

Looking down she saw Merrick and Logan converging on the door. She put her hand on the railing and jumped down. Hesh followed a few second later having opted to go down the stairs. He ended up whispering, “Show off.”

She whispered back, “Shortest distance.”

Keegan was the last to arrive taking out the last one. Once he was at the door, Merrick checked in with Kick, “Kick, we’ve reached the south vault door. It’s a big one. Whatever’s in there they want to keep it safe.”

_No cameras in Black Zone. You’re on your own inside. Starting override procedure._

The door started opening and everyone waited until Merrick took the lead. “Multiple tangos! Go hot! Keep moving!”

Sequoia was through the door and on the ground firing at tangos. Perhaps it was a bit reckless but she wanted to be out in the open. True there was less chance of finding adequate cover but this was the way to go. She could have a bit more freedom of movement. She fired at what she could see and moved when she sensed she needed to.

Hesh was right behind her and at first thought she was nuts for charging in like that. He followed though and soon realized they were able to move and fire more freely. They were able to take out their side as the equipment that was going on lifts moved. Those proved some cover until they got across and he called, “Clear.”

_No chatter on enemy comms. Sounds like you’re still clear._

“Copy Kick. Scarecrow, we’re inside Black Zone. We’re seeing what looks like rocket components,” Merrick relayed as he inspected the area. He had noticed the computers and immediately wondered what the hell was going on.

_Solid copy. Continue searching._

The team moved down into what looked like a hallway. There was only one way in and the way forward was out. It had Sequoia wondering if that was how hamsters felt when they were made to go through their tunnel palaces. Sure it was neat to watch but strategically it felt oppressive. She took the flank with Logan until they came to another door.

“Pressure locked door. This must be it,” Merrick said as he studied the door. “Kick?”

_Roger._

The door suddenly opened and they were in one huge room. There were pieces of rocket being held in place. A piece of satellite was on a crane and moving. Sequoia got the feeling that they may have found something that was going to prove bad. She had no idea what but it had that feeling that it was something big and like a shadow or something.

“Shit,” she heard Hesh exclaim.

“Looks like some kind of satellite,” Keegan said in a quieter tone.

 _No fuck on that account_ , Sequoia thought to herself as she observed her surroundings. Her eyes lighted on everything she could see from her position. “And it has a hell of a weapons package,” she added as she concluded her observations.

“Scarecrow, we found it. It looks like space-based weaponry,” Merrick relayed as he took in the sight. He noted that Sequoia was looking at everything. Her eyes were constantly moving. It was why he always reminded her to be their eyes when they were on missions. She was that good. He knew that she had thrown that knife match and that was more out of pride. Keegan told him what she did to Ramos and how she grabbed the laptop when they almost lost it. That was more a gift and fostered by talent, much like when he had worked with Charles.

_Copy, Actual. Pipe a feed for identification._

“Logan, get your eyes patched in. Hesh, you too,” Merrick said with a slight nod.

Sequoia held her weapon ready while Merrick told Keegan to get the main heat shield open. She was surprised when Merrick turned to look at her. She said, “I know old man. Eyes and ears. Got this.” She lifted her rifle and held position while scanning for any sign that might be trouble.

_Visual feed is up. You’re coming in clear._

“Roger that, Scarecrow. Send your traffic,” Merrick replied as he helped Hawk keep a lookout while surveying what Hesh and Logan and Keegan were doing.

_Give us a look at the main unit. It’s to the left. Right there. That’s it. It’s a kinetic rod delivery system._

“Like the ones that took out San Diego,” Hesh confirmed. He studied the main unit and it was like one of those sick feelings in the gut hit.

_Yeah. These are smaller, but there’s a lot more of them. Definitely based on our ODIN design. We’ve need to find out how many they’ve built. Good work boys. This was a big find._

_Arclight, entire wing confirmed for bombing run. Total coverage is go for effect. Drop everything._

_Copy, Scarecrow. Genesis confirmed, eighty clicks out. Six minutes. En-route for full effect._

That was the signal to get a move on. Sequoia waited for Logan to go first and felt a slight push from behind. She saw that it was Hesh and didn’t say anything but moved out. She followed with Hesh and Keegan behind her and Logan and Merrick up front.

_Arclight 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3, target Romeo and Birdhouse. Arclight 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3, target Cooper, Dixie and Tango. Pattern bombing, absolute coverage._

_Merrick, find any data that can give us a bigger picture of their progress then get out of there. You have an entire air wing en-route to level the whole complex._

“Copy that. Kick you got that? Arclight’s en-route. This entire factory is going to disappear very soon.”

“And I don’t want to be in here when that starts,” Sequoia muttered as they made their way in to get any data on this thing. She felt tense knowing that the airstrike was on its way and it was like something was going to happen.


	18. Chapter 18

“Switch to thermals!”

Sequoia had her thermals on and was already moving. Hesh, Merrick and Keegan had popped smoke to blind the Federation bastards so they could make their way out. She took the lead and took out two tangos that looked like a couple of lost kids.

They had managed to find the data and Hesh and Logan were uploading. The feeling she had seemed to increase the moment Hesh started mentioning something about launch dates and that there were twenty four so far. She suspected that this was the Federation’s continued campaign of striking from above. First they took control of ODIN and now they were in this shit. More likely they were going to try and finish it.

Someone had to have caught onto them. It felt like an ambush the moment the door charge exploded, knocking everyone down. Something hit the back of her shoulder and it hurt but it wasn’t bad. The main problem had been the spray of bullets that rained through the office. They had been pinned down and that was the reason for them to pop smoke.

Arclight was past the PNR. That meant that they had to be out by the time they dropped their load or they were history. So in essences this was making a run for it but they were playing it smart by using the smoke and thermals. She didn’t really like using them but at the moment they were the thing that was helping them to stay alive.

“Clean house! We need to move!”

“No shit old man,” Sequoia muttered to herself as she moved forward. She was up ahead and to her right was either Merrick or Keegan and behind her was Hesh and Logan. Out loud she shouted, “Contact! Twenty meters!”

“I’m hit.”

Sequoia looked over to see someone holding their arm. She made her way over and found that it was Keegan. She lifted her thermals to get a look. She said, “It’s a flesh wound. You’re good.”

Keegan looked at her and nodded his thanks while she pulled her thermals back on. She continued to fire and tried moving forward. They just seemed to be popping out of the woodwork on this and it was damned annoying. She wasn’t going to complain about it until it became a problem apart from the fact that the delay meant that Arclight was getting closer with its payload.

“Flashbang!”

Sequoia turned when the flash grenades went off and ended up being blinded. She immediate removed her thermals but she was still seeing spots. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to clear her vision. “Son of a…” She didn’t see that she was in the line of fire of a Fed.

Hesh hadn’t been affected as badly by the flashbangs. His thermals were fried and pretty much everyone’s were. He had turned and saw Sequoia trying to clear her vision and a Fed was aiming right at her. He shouted, “Drop Hawk!”

Sequoia obeyed instant and dropped to the ground. Her vision had cleared enough to see that she had been out in the open. She blinked when she saw the Fed go down and almost jumped when she felt Hesh’s hand on her shoulder. He asked, “You okay?”

She replied, “I’m good.” She was back up and firing away. She made up for her moment of vulnerability by shooting at Feds with a look that could kill and no hesitation. “Thanks,” she said.

“My turn on eyes,” Hesh said as he moved to the other side to press that advantage.

Sequoia glanced at Hesh and then at nothing before continuing to fire at the Feds. She wanted out of this place. She wasn’t looking forward to being blown up. She tolerated falling out of a blown up building but actually being blown up… not really the thing she wanted to be a part of.

“Don’t stop! We have the advantage!”

It was true. They did have the advantage and that meant they should push forward. Sequoia moved forward and was bent low like she was a predator out to kill. It ended up drawing out enemy fire but that gave the advantage for the others and she took out what she saw. She took refuge behind what looked like a data server or something and ejected her mag and put a new one in. She leaned her back against the thing and took a breath before coming back around and shouted, “Laying cover! Move!”

“Up the stairs! Go! Hawk get your ass moving!” Merrick yelled as he ran up the stairs.

“Keep up old man,” Sequoia replied as she took out the last of what she could see and then collapsed to follow the rest of the squad.

“Quit trying to kill me,” Hesh muttered as she came up.

“I really don’t want to be in here when the payload comes in,” she said with no apologies. True it may have seemed reckless but they would have gotten pinned down there if they kept dawdling. “I’m sure you don’t.”

Hesh couldn’t argue with that. He just didn’t want to see her get hurt in terms of getting mowed down. It was part of the job but even he knew that you needed to play it smart. Then again he had heard of the crazy stuff she did with Echo Team. It was just different considering not too long ago they were telling each other how they really felt. It made some really bad ironic/comedy or something with that but… that was how it was. He couldn’t and wasn’t going to argue since he was in that frame of mind too.

They continued onto the next section and it was beginning to feel like these Feds were like flies or cockroaches. They just kept coming back. A slight explosion and the shattering of glass accompanied gunfire forced Hesh to glance over. Sequoia was ducked behind the wall and shattered glass had fallen over her shoulders. _A little déjà vu_ , he thought to himself as he took down the last one and yelled, “Clear!”

The run to the roof was eerily quiet except for the occasional spark from all the damage done to the place. Merrick was taking the lead and followed by Keegan. Logan was not too far behind and that left Hesh and Sequoia at the rear. They jogged through the halls, checking the corners to make sure there were no more surprises.

_Merrick, I’m securing transport, but you’ve got a full house on the rooftop ahead of you._

“Well that just makes things easier,” Sequoia muttered as she heaved a sigh. It wasn’t a big one but more of an exasperated one.

“Pick up the pace,” Merrick was saying.

Hesh wanted to chuckle. It seemed like Merrick knew when Sequoia would mutter something and say something that wasn’t exactly related but… He didn’t though and like Sequoia they picked up the pace to round a corner. They saw a chopper lifting off and a bright light was being shown in their direction. It was that expression of being caught like a deer in headlights that described the scene but they pushed forward towards the door to the roof.

Sequoia paused to load a new mag into her gun. She looked at the others and Merrick said, “We go on three.”

“Stay by me,” Hesh said in a low voice.

Sequoia said nothing but looked at him. Normally she would have brushed that kind of request off. She always charged ahead like the others. Mostly it was to show her guys that she was just as willing as they were to jump into the fray. This time though, she sensed that it would be a good idea. It was her instincts telling her that it was a good idea.

On three they burst out of the door and began firing. Sequoia stayed with Hesh and they pushed their way forward while staying out of the spotlight. They went right while Logan and Keegan went left and Merrick was somewhere there. As they rounded a corner, sparks from ricochets hit the piping and Sequoia ducked since she was the closest. Hesh fired and took out the bastard. They kneeled behind the piping and Hesh said, “Lay down suppression fire and I’ll move up. Then I’ll cover.”

Sequoia nodded and when Hesh was ready, she stood up and started firing at any targets she saw. She took cover to avoid getting hit and moved just a little while Hesh moved up. When he was in a good spot, he nodded and signaled at her.

“Move and shoot! Do not stop!”

It was easier said than done as Sequoia moved up while Hesh laid down cover fire. She moved to a position nearby since where he was didn’t provide enough cover for both of them. She peered around to note positions and then nodded that she was going to lay cover fire. At Hesh’s nod she fired back as she picked her targets. She had to reload right in the middle and it was rather a breath holding moment since Hesh almost got hit. He made it though, to her relief.

Hesh peered around and saw that where they needed to be was just ahead. He shouted, “Parking lot’s just ahead!”

“That’s our RV! Let’s get down there!” Merrick’s voice was heard somewhere above the din of gunfire and the occasional shouts in Spanish.

Hesh looked to see Sequoia waiting and it looked like she was being pinned down. She was returning fire but it seemed like all fire was being concentrated on her. He shouted at her and signaled that he was going to give her cover fire. She nodded and adjusted her position on her feet and was ready to move when he gave the signal. He drew fire in the process but also managed to take out the Fed that had been shooting at her position.

They made their way down to the parking lot and Merrick was yelling for Kick. Sequoia took out a Fed who decided he could be sneaky. She backed up and ended up bumping into Hesh and they almost turned on each other but they turned back to continue with what they were doing. Sequoia heard the click and she ejected the mag. She reached into her pouch and found that she only had one left. She said, “Last mag!”

_One minute._

“We don’t have a minute!”

Sequoia knew she had to be careful. She was on her last mag and all she had was her pistol and that was pretty much it with the backup mags. The last option was moving forward and being a crazy person and fighting hand to hand. That last option though would probably have Hesh go hysterical. She looked around for anything that would be compatible with her rifle. She was distracted when she felt a tap on her arm.

Hesh was holding out a mag to her and she put it in her pouch. He said, “Make them count.”

“Roger that,” she replied. She picked her target accordingly and fired as they pressed forward.

“Vehicles incoming!” Hesh had noticed them and called out the warning. He started moving faster and vaulted over the railing to get down. He was followed by Sequoia who landed soundlessly beside him.

“Let’s go!” Merrick urged them to keep going. They may not have a minute but they had to get to the exfil point.

They took cover as they looked around for signs of Kick with transport. Hesh pulled Sequoia beside him and aimed at the enemy vehicles. She looked around but also scanned the area. Something caught her eye and she shouted, “Arclight’s starting! Where’s Kick!”

She looked and then saw something come barreling down. She and Hesh were right in the path. Without a word, she stood up and grabbed Hesh by the shoulder and yanked him with her to get out of the way just as Kick came by with transport in the form of a truck with a trailer. She looked to see that she had partially dragged Hesh when she started running and he was trying to get to his feet. She let go of his shoulder and gave him a hand up. “Sorry, didn’t want to be road kill either.”

“Me neither. Thanks,” Hesh said as they ran towards the trailer.

They jumped on and grabbed Logan who was last and Merrick shouted for Kick to get moving. Sequoia moved to the side of the trailer and held on when Kick gunned it. At that moment Arclight moved in with their payload. It was danger close as the explosions shook the ground and the trailer felt the impact. Sequoia felt herself fall and her rifle slid from her reach. She growled, “Fucking shit.”

The explosions weren’t the only thing to worry about. Enemy vehicles had pulled up behind and were firing at them. Sequoia heard Hesh swear and Merrick screaming at Kick to gun it. All the while her rifle was out of her reach and she couldn’t quite stand up and run to get it. She was giving a mad scramble and they were being shot at. Oh yeah this was fun.

_Pedal’s to the metal already. Hang on!_

That warning could have come sooner. Sequoia was almost in reach of her rifle and Kick made a sudden turn to the left. The inertia threw Sequoia against the right side of the trailer. She grunted when her body hit and it felt like a body block tackle. She hit the bed of the trailer and smacked her head. It hurt like hell but that wasn’t the important thing. She heard an explosion behind her and took a chance to look before Kick declared that they were clear. It was like insult to injury when her rifle slid within reach and she blew out a puff of air in exasperation.

“You okay Hawk?”

Sequoia looked up to see Logan who had slid almost all the way back and he still had his rifle.  She muttered, “I’m good. I really like being thrown around in a truck bed.”

Slowly she pushed herself up and picked up her rifle and sat back on her heels. She took in a couple of breaths as the realization came in that they made it and weren’t toast. She managed to say, “Kick, I think Keegan drives better than you.”

_Fuck you Hawk._

Sequoia laughed at that as she leaned against the railing and replied, “Hey, it’s not like Keegan is any better.”

“Watch it, Hawk,” Keegan joked.

Hesh chuckled as he looked at what he had been able to get from the factory. He looked at Merrick and said, “We destroyed number 24, but where are the other 23?”

“Well, there ain’t gonna be a twenty-fifth,” Merrick offered. He honestly didn’t know. “JSOC will give us our next steps. Time to head home boys.”

“Thank you for thinking of me,” Sequoia said as she adjusted her position. Even though the truck was moving, she managed to sit in a cross legged fashion with her rifle on her lap. She gave a sweet grin.

“Shut up,” Merrick replied, “Pain in the ass.”

“Glad to see I haven’t lost my touch,” she countered as she pressed a finger to where she smacked her forehead. She felt wetness but couldn’t tell if it was the paint, sweat or blood. She couldn’t see very well and rubbed her fingers together.

“You’re okay?”

Sequoia looked to see Hesh sit next to her. She stuff rubbing her fingers and flicked them a bit. “Yeah I’m fine. Just a little smack.”

Hesh peered at her face. It was hard to tell where she had gotten hit but he looked where the smudges of paint were. He gently pressed and he couldn’t see anything but got a low hiss instead. He poked gently again.

“Hesh, I’m fine,” Sequoia said as she moved her head away. “You can’t see anything anyway. Besides you should check on Logan.” She gave a slight gesture with her head. “I think the jolting may have affected him a little more than he’ll be willing to admit.”

Hesh looked at her before getting up and going over to check on Logan. They were both stubborn assess when it came to injuries and had a pride streak a mile wide. Of course that didn’t fly with Sequoia since she had more or less bossed them about it. Yet she always was good when it came to pushing and pulling. He ambled over to where Logan was sitting and gave the gentlest punch he could, “Hey, you okay?”

“I’m good,” Logan replied though he was far from it. Now that the adrenaline was dying down, he could feel the soreness in his ribs. Kick’s crazy driving didn’t do him any favors and he knew that if Sequoia had noticed then there was a sure bet she brought it to Hesh’s attention or Hesh noticed something was off. He looked at Hesh and added, “More or less.”

“Ribs?”

“Hawk noticed didn’t she?”

Hesh gave a slight smile and hummed a chuckle. He admitted, “Actually she guessed. So are you okay or…”

Logan shifted to make himself more comfortable. He looked over at Keegan who was looking at his arm and Sequoia was looking at it and saying he was being a baby. He was surprised that Merrick was actually laughing at something she had said. He made a slight face at the dull throb and said in a low voice, “Ribs are sore. Didn’t feel much until we got on this piece of shit.”

“This piece of shit saved our assess you know,” Hesh replied in a low tone. He reached into one of his pockets and found a packet of aspirin. He nudged Logan gently and handed it off to him like when they used to palm things off that they hid from their dad. “Take those.”

“You carry aspirin?”

“Never leave the base without a pack. Mostly because you’re the punching bag,” Hesh teased as he leaned back a little.

“Right and you haven’t had your fair share,” Logan replied as he popped the aspirin dry. He managed to make it look like he wasn’t taking anything. In fact he managed to get a good look at his brother and watched as Hesh watched Sequoia.

Hesh was listening to Logan and managed to reply, “Maybe but you’re the one that gets hit and walks away. Look at you now.” He wasn’t paying attention too much. His gaze was focused on Sequoia as she sat back as Kick drove them back to base.

Logan noticed his brother watching her and grinned. He nudged Hesh in the shoulder and tried, “So…”

Hesh recognized the tone and replied, “Forget it Logan. I’m not saying a damn thing.”

“You don’t have to. You staring at her says enough,” Logan replied with a knowing look.

Hesh turned to look at Logan. He made a slight face but it wasn’t easily read since they were still wearing their war paint. He countered, “And what the hell do you know? And you’re a pain in the ass.”

“You need to pick another line, big bro,” Logan replied grinning and feeling better. The aspirin must have started taking effect since his ribs weren’t throbbing anymore. Or it was because he was having too much fun annoying the hell out of his brother. “Besides it’s nice that you two are talking.”

“We’ve always talked. Just… not the way you’d expect,” Hesh replied.

“You better not have done anything stupid,” Logan warned.

Hesh looked at his brother at the sharpness of his tone. He frowned slightly at it wondering when Logan had become so protective. “That is none of your business.”

“Hawk is my friend,” Logan said in a firm tone. He looked at Hesh and added, “I know you two like each other but…”

Hesh understood what Logan was getting at. He nodded and replied, “It’s the last thing I want. Don’t worry about it Logan. We’re kind of… Why am I even telling you this? You’re like the girls we used to know always in each other’s business.”

“You calling me a girl?”

“Right to your face,” Hesh said with a grin on his face. He got a punch on his shoulder and thigh for his troubled but Logan seemed to be feeling better. It was well worth it calling him a girl. He chuckled and added, “Would you like it if I called you a cute puppy like she does?”

“Screw you,” Logan retorted. “And you say I’m the pain in the ass.” He grinned as he said that and leaned back. “You’re ten times worse and she says that she likes you.”

Hesh said nothing but managed to enjoy the trip back to base. With them all lucky to have minor to nonexistent injuries, there was no need to go to the infirmary. He found Sequoia in the bathroom washing off the paint. She winced when she tried wiping it off where she got the hit to the head. He asked, “Can I take a look?”

Sequoia wasn’t startled at all but she turned to see Hesh looking at her. He still had smudges on his face making it look like he had been out in the mud. She gave a slight smile and teased, “You think you can do better?”

Hesh took it as a mild challenge. It was the way she had intended. He took it by taking the rag she was using and ran it under the water. He then started to gently remove the paint from her face. He wiped away the black to reveal a red patch of skin. He made a slight face at the sight of it. The more he revealed he ended up making a face at her when he found the broken skin in the middle of the welt on her forehead. “Just like Logan.”

“I could take care of it myself but a stubborn ass won’t let me,” Sequoia replied as she held still while he finished wiping off the last of the paint and started cleaning the cut on the welt. “And I am not a perpetual punching bag.”

“I can see there are two of us that agree on that,” Hesh said as he finished cleaning out the wound. He paused when she winced slightly. ‘Sorry.”

“I’m good,” Sequoia said. She chuckled gently while trying to hold still while Hesh finished cleaning the cut. “If you ask me, I think Logan likes getting punished. He certainly seemed to like it when I got a little out of hand with sparring on the sub.”

“In a way he does,” Hesh admitted as he tossed the rag aside. He picked up the jar of antibiotic ointment and put a little on his finger and gently started to apply it to the cut. “Kind goes for me too. We used to scuffle a lot.”

“And if Logan weren’t injured, you’d be trying to put him in a headlock for whatever he said to you,” Sequoia replied as she stepped away to take a look. She gave Hesh a knowing smile before looking at it. “Nice. Won’t leave a mark.”

“You’re welcome,” Hesh replied and gave her a peck on her cheek. The tip of his nose touched just slightly. “I’ll see you in briefing?”

Sequoia looked at him and kissed his cheek. She didn’t say anything but picked up her things and left. She only paused to give Hesh a smile before going to take care of her gear. Hesh merely stared at her and couldn’t help but chuckle and sigh with a smile.


	19. Chapter 19

“Our worst fears are confirmed,” Elias began, not mincing words. This was wartime and you really couldn’t afford to sugar coat things. Sometimes you just had to hear the nitty gritty and the worst case scenarios all that. He looked at his men who looked like they could use the rest but they would tough things out. That’s what made them Ghosts. “The Federation has reversed- engineered a space weapons system from the wreckage of ODIN.”

The bad feeling that Sequoia had when she saw what was being made in the factory that they now demolished… it came back. Her mind was working on the worst case scenario as it relived what happened when ODIN was turned against them. It almost seemed like the Federation wanted to finish the job that they started ten years ago. She was quiet as Hesh asked the question that was lingering on everyone’s mind, “How long until it’s operational?”

“Unclear,” Elias replied, “The data you recovered has been sent on to NORAD. SecDef wants the debrief in person.”

 _Oh that sounds like fun_ , Sequoia thought to herself. It sounded almost like getting sent to the principal’s office or something like that. She actually didn’t envy whoever was to go for that.

“Keegan, I’m sending you to Colorado Springs,” Elias continued.

“You got it.”

“We’ll rendezvous at the Vegas safe house at twelve hundred hours tomorrow.”

With the plan set, everyone went to go take care of various things before they left. Keegan had to leave first if he was going to make it with the briefing. He was carrying his gear when Sequoia sidled up next to him but didn’t say anything. He grinned when she just walked in silence with her hands behind her back and asked, “Don’t you have something to be doing?”

“Maybe,” she replied. She grinned back at him. “Maybe not.”

Keegan chuckled as he took in her appearance. The welt looked nasty but it would fade and she seemed proud of it. “Merrick’s right about you being a pain in the ass,” he said.

“Aww I didn’t know you cared,” Sequoia replied knowing that Keegan didn’t mean anything hurtful by it. “Actually just thought you could use some company.”

“Don’t tell me you want to go to Colorado Springs.”

“Fuck no,” she said like he was being crazy. She was smiling though and added, “Like I want to go and talk to the guy that puts me to work.”

“Could be a good learning experience for you kid,” Keegan teased back. He gave her a slight push with his hand. “Could be my eyes and ears.”

Sequoia laughed at that but it was a bit sober. She sighed a little and asked, “Keegan, does it seem like all I’m good for is eyes and ears? You know what I mean?”

Keegan looked at her, not sure what she was quite asking. “Not really,” he replied honestly. He then thought about it and then asked, “Is this about what Merrick asks of you?”

“Sort of,” Sequoia replied. She knew she thought about things too much. She wasn’t a chatterbox generally. When she spoke she usually had something to say even if it came in the form of a joke that generally annoyed Merrick or made Elias twitch his lip in a smile. She made a slight hissing sound trying to find the right words, “Just it seems that maybe there is a dependency on the fact I can see things quicker or catch what is missed. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing.” She shrugged her shoulders.

Keegan peered at her and did a quick mental recap of their missions. Merrick had always asked her to be their cover. She was good at it no doubt. She had caught things that would have easily taken their heads off and pretty much killed them. “Hawk, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just curious,” Sequoia offered but she knew she couldn’t leave it at that. Keegan didn’t quite have the whole picture. “Just wondering if it had anything to do with what I did to Ramos and what… what Rorke said.”

It dawned on Keegan where she was going with this. Probably to her it seemed like she was surrounded by males trying to keep her out of harm’s way and that was by not catering to the other skills she probably had. She probably was skilled at interrogation but no one saw that and they probably weren’t inclined to count her display with Ramos. Then there was Rorke who probably had her wondering if he knew she was Charles Williams’ daughter. It certainly didn’t help that Rorke called her little Charlie.

“I’m not complaining but… I just want to know if it is because of that; that maybe you guys are trying to hide what I am.” Sequoia made a slight sound knowing that it came out kind of bad.

Keegan debated on what to tell her. It was a private conversation that was held between him, Merrick and Elias after the incident with Rorke. Elias had been in two minds of what to do. He was concerned that Rorke would find out that she had skills learned from Charles Williams in the art of interrogation.

Charles was the best interrogator he had ever seen. In a way he rivaled what the Federation did to Rorke but his way was more along the lines of planting suggestion. Leaving the hint of what he might do… Keegan had heard of Federation soldiers reduced to quivering masses. Charles was also good at stealth. He had been sent on covert ops to gain intel. It was the reason why he was sent with them to capture Almagro.

The man was a good man. While he called it a hunt, he never lost sight of the objective. He knew where the line was drawn so it had Keegan having a hard time believing the stories he had heard. When he saw Sequoia do what she did with Ramos, Keegan could understand where Elias was going. If Rorke did find out what she could do…

It was Merrick’s idea to keep her on the missions but give her jobs that utilized her best skill with her sight. He said he would take care of it so that it wouldn’t be coming from Elias. It was a nice gesture on his part but it looked like she saw through it. Keegan looked at her and said, “Hawk, it’s not you.”

“Don’t bullshit me, Keegan,” Sequoia countered. Her expression was one that was a bit wounded since she liked Keegan as a friend and he had been honest with her. “Can you tell me or won’t?”

“Hawk, understand that you… mean a lot,” Keegan wasn’t sure how to do this.

Sequoia looked at him. She suspected that behind it all was Elias doing what a parent would do and that was to protect. She interrupted, “Elias endorsed it.” She gave a slight sad smile. “Then it’s like I thought. He’s worried too.”

“The last thing he wanted was to keep you back and watch the whole thing. He didn’t have anything until Merrick came up with it.” Keegan peered at her and narrowed his eyes slightly but not in a scolding manner. “You really think too much.”

“Can’t help it,” she replied with a shrug, “And I’m not mad. I just wanted to know.”

“We don’t doubt you,” Keegan replied, “Hell I don’t. I still find it surprising the guy didn’t piss in his pants after that.” He grinned as he turned to get on the chopper. He saw her giving a smile and added, “Hawk, don’t worry about it too much.”

“I knew you guys liked me,” she replied with a smile. “Thanks Keegan. Take care.”

“I’d say the same to you Hawk. Don’t get into too much trouble in Vegas.”

“I doubt it but I do intend to have some fun if only to annoy Merrick.” Sequoia gave a grin at Keegan as he settled in.

“And maybe with another,” Keegan teased and watched the slight blush appear. He laughed and said, “Be yourself Hawk. See you at 01200.”

“Don’t be late.” Sequoia stood back after she said a farewell in Sioux to Keegan. It didn’t matter if he understood it or not. He got the gist of it and nodded at her. She watched as the chopper lifted off and gave a wave before turning to grab her gear to mount up for Vegas. She was in a better frame of mind.

She knew Elias wasn’t doing things the way he did to be cruel. He was protecting her. He was her godfather after all and it seemed that he took on the responsibility of being father to her when her own died. He just waited until she had joined the Ghosts in order to exercise that. She could only imagine how hard it was and she wasn’t his blood; he would be concerned about his boys but then again it was always different for sons.

It was also like how she explained to Keegan and Logan and then Hesh. Elias was looking out for his tribe so to speak when he was debating what to do. If it meant having her sit back to ensure a measure of wellbeing then that was acceptable. She may not like it but she could understand. Every choice had a consequence including what you decided to eat. It was a rudimentary example she had been shown but it grew into other example so she understood it.

She thought about that as she went back to her room to grab her gear and slung it over her shoulder even though it ached just a little. The door frame charge knocked a piece of door into her shoulder and it left a nasty bruise. The funny thing was that she didn’t feel it and it wasn’t too bad. Thinking about it, they had been lucky since Merrick and Logan were the ones closest to it. It was actually the one time Logan _didn’t_ get an injury. She thought perhaps it was fate or God or whoever that decided to be nice on the youngest Walker and she for one was glad since she saw him as a little brother to look out for even though he had a brother to do that.

“There you are. Dad said he was going to leave without you if you didn’t get move on,” the subject of thoughts said as he ran up to greet her.

Sequoia looked at Logan and grinned. She reached out and rasseled whatever was left of his hair since it was in a crew cut and laughed when he ducked and scowled at her. She said, “He wouldn’t leave me behind because I’d figure out a way to catch up.”

Logan started laughing. He didn’t mind when she tried to ruffle his hair. That was how their relationship was. They were friends but also kind of like siblings. He countered, “He said he would do that just to make you prove you can.”

Sequoia smiled at that. It was like what Keegan said and what she thought out to herself. “Well I would have thought my use of a tomahawk would say something.”

“Yeah. Scaring the crap out of assholes,” Logan replied, “I think I would need you to interrogate the girls I bring home.” He paused a bit and then asked, “Say uh… Hawk. Can I ask you something?”

“You just did,” she teased as they walked to the chopper. She knew that it was serious though and added, “What about?”

“About your friend Skye.”

Sequoia started laughing at that. At Logan’s look, she explained, “She isn’t my friend. She was my pupil.” She shook her head at that and wondered how Skye would take that. She explained, “Skye is technically my cousin since her mom and me are cousins. What about her?”

“Well… is she available?”

“Um…” Sequoia wasn’t sure how to answer that one since she was not the foremost expert on relationships. “Did you ask her?”

“Yeah but she’s annoying like you,” Logan replied with a slight pout. He looked at Sequoia. “She sort of implied it but didn’t. Like you get under Hesh’s skin and he likes it.” He gave a sly look in the direction of Sequoia. He was being a pain in the ass with it but only because he was happy for them both and it was pretty funny.

“I have no idea what you are talking about crazy white man,” Sequoia replied. She knew what he was after and Hesh told her about it. She teased him by making it sound stereotypical of her people. She grinned as she said it.

“You are a mean Hawk,” Logan retorted with a slight pout knowing that it would make her laugh.

It worked since she did laugh at him and said, “Honestly Skye may have picked that up from me but I really don’t know. Of course her rebuffing you is probably her way of saying she’s interested. Get her on the phone and ask. You know the direct approach is best.”

Logan chuckled as he looked at Sequoia. They were at the chopper and hopping in. He said, “It is the best. Doesn’t mean that it’s the one used… unless you kick someone in the ass.” He cast glance at Hesh and grinned at the scowl. It was going to be an interesting trip.

****

Vegas had been desolated from the ODIN attacks and the desert was reclaiming what was once part of it. The nice thing was that the buildings that were once opulent casinos were in fairly decent shape despite the fact that they were now overrun by sand and the elements. It was the perfect place for a safe house since most people wouldn’t think to look there.

Sequoia looked around as she walked in. The place was nice but something didn’t seem right. She had that odd feeling in her stomach much like when she was in the trenches that day she met the Walker boys. On the ride to the safe house, she talked to Logan and he made her laugh and occasionally brought Hesh into it with gentle nudges. It wasn’t until they got their signal that they were arriving that things didn’t seem right.

The first thing she did was say softly to Elias, “I’m not sure about this.”

Elias took her remark seriously but as far as he knew, the area was secure. He silently gave her shoulder a squeeze to indicate that he acknowledged what she said but he wasn’t going to act on it. It was business as usual as they dragged their gear in. “JSOC’s gonna want to move fast on this, so load up before you get any shut eye.”

Sequoia looked at her watch and noted that it was 0809. That meant at least four hours until Keegan got back. She had dozed on the chopper sitting against the wall and firmly wedged between Hesh and Logan but it turned into a deep sleep because she ended up dreaming. She wasn’t even sure when she even got into a deep enough sleep for that but the dream itself was disturbing.

She was running through the jungle like the one in Brazil, deep in Federation territory. She was running but she wasn’t running from something… at least she thought she wasn’t. She just knew that she had to keep running. There was a sense of urgency like there was somewhere she needed to be.

Then suddenly she was on a beach. She could see the water that was clear blue and the sand was white. Suddenly the ground gave way and she fell into a hole. She landed in the mud and it was pouring rain. Then there was that laughter and him taunting her. She looked up and saw the shadow of a man looking at her and he was laughing. She stood up and looked at him. Drums, like the war drums of old were pounding and she could feel it in her heart beating.

Looking at the man she brushed her hand across her face, smearing the mud over it. She looked like the warriors of old as she stood facing the man. He laughed at her and then moved slightly before starting to attack. She charged and then…

She had woken up just before landing and it seemed that no one noticed that she had drifted off or if they did, they weren’t going to say anything. At that point she started getting that gnawing feeling. It bothered her but as so many times before, she didn’t have physical evidence. Before it didn’t bother her because as long as she had the trust of her men as their commander, they would follow orders and that was that. This was different since she was in that subordinate position and this time she cared about what happened. At least Elias was aware that she was not comfortable.

It was easy to brush it off and say that it was because she didn’t like the place. She didn’t like it because something wasn’t right with the place. She heard a slight whine and saw that Riley was looking up at her. She kneeled and he came closer. She ruffled his fur in an affectionate rub and whispered, “I know boy. I don’t like it either. Stay sharp.” She gave him a pat.

“Hold up,” Merrick said from behind her. He looked at Sequoia and noticed how she was kneeling by Riley and how tense she was. In fact she had been jumpy since getting in. “Something feel off to you?”

“Security’s working,” Elias said as he walked in. He wasn’t a fool though. He had noticed Sequoia’s movements and he trusted her. When Merrick started expressing unease, he knew that things weren’t paranoia. Still he had to point out things that were working.

Hesh crossed the room. Like everyone else, he and Logan hadn’t failed to notice how Sequoia seemed jumpy just setting foot on the ground. He held his gun ready for anything and he signaled silently to Logan for eyes alert. He turned to look and saw Sequoia poised with her eyes narrowed and darting all around while her head moved slightly to listen. He moved to take a look around.

Riley started barking. Sequoia was the first to move and she walked in a sort of crouch to the edge of the floor. Riley was facing that direction so she was going with it. Since she was squatting, she was not seen and she could peer over. Riley was still barking and she heard a slight whine from him. He was really agitated about this.

There wasn’t much time to contemplate that since she saw the trail of smoke before she saw the canister come over the edge. She pushed the dog and said, “Riley hide!”

“Get out!”

More canisters came over and landed. Sequoia put her hand over her mouth and started for the exit. She tried not to breathe it in but some got in and she started coughing. It forced more of whatever it was into her system and she felt her limbs start to get heavy. She fought it though and kept moving. She was closest to Logan and he was already on his knees and close to collapsing. Hesh was down and the others were at various stages. It would be dead weight but if she got Logan out…

It was labored breathing as Sequoia wrapped an arm around Logan’s waist and said, “Come on Logan. Get up.”

Logan was in a fog but he obeyed readily. In his addled state he interpreted it as a command and he wasn’t going to get on Sequoia’s bad side. He didn’t like how she sounded though. Her breathing was labored… What the hell was she doing? “Hawk…”

“Come on. Get up,” Sequoia urged as she coughed. “We gotta get out… come on.” She half dragged and half forced Logan into an almost limping walk. Her vision got cloudy as she coughed some more. She stumbled a bit.

“Hawk…”

“Shut up… just… follow me out,” Sequoia replied as she pulled on the increasing weight Logan was becoming. It was becoming obvious that he was succumbing to the effects of the gas… but she could still pull him out. She had to.

She kept it up until Logan wasn’t going anywhere. He was down for the count and she was on her knees. Her breathing was labored and she was coughing even though the worst of the gas had dissipated. She put a hand on Logan’s shoulder and made to drag him out even though he was heavier than Hesh. How that could be possible, she didn’t know and wasn’t going to try to think about it. She bent over and heard Logan say, “Run… Hawk… go.”

“I don’t leave a man behind,” she managed to spit out. At that moment she heard voices. It was garbled Spanish but it was Feds. “You’re… coming…”

She managed to turn Logan over so he was on his back. It was like blind instinct or something as she grabbed him by the wrist and tried to pull him across the floor. It was slow and jerky movements and she was trying to hurry since the voices were getting louder. She probably was raining hell down on him since he had bruised ribs and she was probably grabbing his bruised wrist; her head was too fuzzy to think. Still if she got him out, the bruises were the least of the worries.

She jerked and tugged until she tripped over something and fell backwards. She landed hard on her back and got a smack to the back of it. “Son of a bitch,” she muttered as she tried to get up.

At this point her limbs were becoming heavier. Her eyes wanted to close but she couldn’t let that happen. She sort of rolled when she was in a crunch position to get to a seated position. For some odd reason she couldn’t get her legs to move the way she wanted or they were moving but she felt like she was detached.

_Tenemos uno. Ella todavía está en movimiento._

“Yeah there is one still moving you Federation bastards,” Sequoia muttered as she tried to move.

She was on her hands and knees now and she could hear laughter. Yeah the assholes could laugh about it. She was fucking gassed and that was fucking obvious by the way she was moving. She saw the uniforms and her vision blurred even more even as she crawled to reach for Logan’s arm. Eventually the exertion became too much and she collapsed. Her eyes closed.

_Well I’ll be damned. Bring little Charlie with me. The rest…_

The voice was warped and Sequoia wanted to open her eyes and say something but she couldn’t. She knew that voice and she wanted to punch him in the face. It was almost funny how her inhibitions had been removed made her want to behave like Hesh at times or it just slowly simmered until a breaking point which she suspected was Logan. At the moment she was less than amused and so damned sleepy.

The next thing she knew was that she was being dragged… or was it carried? She couldn’t tell except she felt like she was hanging upside down. She thought she heard her name but it was too distorted. She managed to open her eyes and found that she was looking at the ground and it was moving.

_No stupid you’re the one that’s moving._

Sequoia closed her eyes again since she couldn’t hold her eyes open much longer. The enveloping blackness was welcome. She let it take her while the rest of this humiliating journey was being taken. She could regroup and figure out what to do when they stopped moving.

_Come on. Wake up._

Sequoia felt mocking pats on her cheek as she slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurry but she could make out the shape of a man in front of her and a very familiar one too. She blinked to let the image come clear and let her head clear since it seemed that the gas was wearing off. She could hear noise coming down the hall that was distinctly Merrick. He sure was pissed.

“Come on now. I know you’re awake and can hear me. So look at me.”

Sequoia turned to look in the direction the voice was coming from. She saw the one man that she didn’t want to see but also wanted to stop. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes as she looked up at the man.

Rorke grinned when he had her attention, “Hello again, little Charlie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation (Google Translate): Tenemos uno. Ella todavía está en movimiento. (We’ve got one. She’s still moving.)
> 
> All translations are approximate.


	20. Chapter 20

Sequoia looked up at Rorke as he stared at her grinning. She took a moment to look at her surroundings. She found herself in a chair but she wasn’t actually tied. It had her suspicious about the whole thing. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Rorke but her brow raised in the question she wanted to ask but decided against.

Rorke seemed to find it amusing. He looked at her and chuckled, “Just trying to show some manners. Charlie was always big on them.”

Sequoia cocked her head to the side and looked at Rorke in silence. She could speak but she was choosing not to. She knew that she was in the presence of another hunter. He was a different kind though. He was a hunter who hunted his own kind; a Ghost who hunted Ghosts. This man was dangerous if you didn’t treat him for what he was.

“Now you’re being very rude little Charlie,” Rorke said as he bent low to lock eyes on her. He then straightened and paced a little. “If you are a student of Charlie’s you would have learned his philosophy on manners.” He turned to look at Sequoia and said, “So you better start talking.”

Sequoia looked at Rorke as he looked like a parent telling a kid that they had just done something wrong. Her expression was one that looked like she was asking if he was serious about sitting down for tea or something equally ridiculous. She cocked her head to the right and then the left like she was exercising her neck muscles. Finally she said, “What do you want to talk about?”

Rorke pulled up a chair and straddled it while keeping an eye on Sequoia. She wasn’t going to move since she was certain that the guards in the room had their rifles pointed at her and wouldn’t hesitate to shoot if she did something. Rorke propped his arms on the chair back and peered at her and replied, “For starters you can tell me what your name is.”

“I thought you gave me one,” Sequoia replied. She kept her arms on the arm rests. She wasn’t tied down but the position would give confidence to the guards. There would be no reason to shoot her… if that was part of the plan.

“And it hardly seems to be appropriate,” Rorke replied as he leaned on his arms. He was amused at her and the way she sat. She wasn’t going to move. “So if you gave me your name this will go over much easier.”

“Names have power,” Sequoia replied as she sat in her chair. She looked at Rorke, letting her gaze focus on him. She tensed every muscle to be still much like when she held her look out post in Caracas. She added, “And power is a choice that a man decides to give up or keep.” It sounded mystic like but it was better than nothing.

“So you’re playing tough guy?”

“Not at all.” Sequoia looked at Rorke like she was going to have a polite conversation. Her eyes studied the man and took in the scar on his face. She moved her head slightly. “Merely pointing out that names have power and it comes from the choice to reveal it.”

Rorke was quiet for a moment. He then started chuckling, “You really are like Charlie. He would have said the same thing.”

“I wouldn’t know about that. It’s just a phrase most people know.”

Rorke grinned at her. He was liking this. She was much more entertaining than Charles had been. “Keep telling yourself that kid. You know as well as I do that you trained under Charlie Williams. He was very particular.”

“I can just imagine.” Sequoia shifted slightly in her seat. She made sure it was slow since she didn’t want itchy trigger fingers going berserk. She knew that in order for this to work, each side had to give a little.

_Neither will be the first to submit… but they may try to pry._

Sequoia straightened up a little. Finally she added, “What makes you think that I know this person. For all you know I just studied a training video or someone who was trained under him.”

“Liar, liar pants on fire little Charlie,” Rorke replied. He was grinning and wagging his finger like a parent would when scolding a child. He sat back in his seat and then pulled a picture out of his pocket. It was a still photo of her and with her tomahawk as she drove it into the desk. “So says what I have on you. Facial recognition does wonders.”

Sequoia didn’t give anything away. So it seemed that he did know her. He was just fucking with her. It was not a positive thing but it was a development. It was how hunters found their information. She countered, “Maybe so… but it doesn’t always give results.”

“But this time it did,” Rorke countered as he pulled out another piece of paper. He made a show of opening it and finding what he needed. He mocked her, “Sergeant Sequoia Williams, commander of special ops team Echo Three and now you think you’re a Ghost.”

“You have a big mouth,” Sequoia said after she studied his features. She made it seem like it was an abnormality rather than the turn of phrase. “Can shit go in as bull shit comes out?”

Rorke narrowed his eyes but he was still smiling. He stood up and gripped Sequoia by the chin. His thumb touched her lower lip and his forefinger hooked under her chin. He forced her to look up at him and said, “Now be nice little Charlie. You may have lip but I have the gun and with one word I could make things interesting.”

Sequoia heard the sounds of something hitting something. Merrick was yelling at the Federation and calling them sons of bitches. She only moved her eyes towards the door that was the only exit. Her chin was held captive but it left Rorke vulnerable if she decided to strike and she knew a couple of things. She wasn’t going to do anything stupid. She looked back at Rorke and replied, “But if I was polite you’d be fucking pissed.”

Rorke looked down at her. He narrowed his eyes as she stared at him. He released with a hard clip of her chin. “Mind your manners little Charlie. It’s kept you alive so far.” He went to sit back in his chair. He propped his arms on the back and studied her. “So you wanna be a Ghost?”

“And here I was thinking I was one. You caught me,” Sequoia countered as she leaned forward. Her hands on the edge of the rests were like leverage to prop her. “How does that fit?”

Rorke chuckled as his grin turned into a smile. It turned into laughter and he managed to say, “You think you’re a Ghost?”

“You tell me if you think you’re an expert. Of course I don’t hold with men who are weak and pathetic.” It was a risk and Sequoia knew it. She was at risk of getting herself shot but sometimes you just had to tell the fucking truth especially if you didn’t want the other hunter to know things.

“You think I’m weak?!” Rorke stood up suddenly and the chair fell over. He got into Sequoia’s face and demanded, “Is that what you think?!”

Sequoia looked at Rorke right in the eye as he shouted at her. She had gone through boot. She wasn’t intimidated by it. She replied calmly, “Weak and pathetic.”

Rorke looked like he was going to slap her. Sequoia was waiting for it and was prepared to take it on the brunt of her cheek. She even considered that he might punch her in the face. She didn’t make a move to flinch. The blow didn’t come. Instead Rorke lowered his hand and stared at her and seemed to be thinking about something. He turned and started muttering, “Fucking little shit.”

“It’s what you are. A man’s character is his destiny and in this case you are what you are.” Sequoia was taking quite a gamble in antagonizing Rorke like that but sometimes when people got angry they said things that they were probably not supposed to. “A weak and pathetic man blaming others for his own shortcomings.”

“And you think you’re any better, following someone who would let his men die to save his ass?” Rorke was still pacing in front of her as he was looking at her. He gestured as he spoke to her.

“And would you have done anything different?” Sequoia looked at him and raised her brow slightly to demand an answer. She maintained a calm exterior though she felt the pounding of her heart. She was certain that Rorke could hear it. When he didn’t say anything she continued, “I thought so. You are weak and pathetic.”

“You are one for words little Charlie. But I wonder what you would do with a weapon in your hands.” Rorke walked over to a nearby table and picked up her tomahawk. He looked at it and held it in his hand. “Now I know you have some skills. You’ve got fight and life in you.”

Sequoia watched as he played with her weapon. She watched as he tried to make it work. It was then one of the guards sidled up and she could sense his presence. She didn’t like him being near her. She could tell he was a slime and only thought about one thing. It was made clear when he reached out and started toying with her hair.

With a pursing of her lips in disgust, she made a sudden movement and gave that slime of a Fed something he would remember. She heard him grunt in extreme pain and the other started barking in Spanish and cocked his gun. It was followed by a gunshot and Sequoia looked up to see Rorke pointing his gun behind her. He had shot the one that was going to shoot her. “Stupid fucker.”

The Fed she had elbowed in the groin was bent over in pain and was drowned out by the shouts from the others. Sequoia realized they thought Rorke had shot her. It was a very effective mental form of torture. What you couldn’t see the mind made up. Rorke though didn’t give a shit. He grinned when he heard the shouts and said, “Not bad eh?”

“Fuck you,” Sequoia replied.

Rorke almost chortled, “Now there is what I like to see. That is definitely Charlie. You don’t need to fool me since you have trained under him.” He walked over and wrapped his arm over the shoulders of the Fed that got the groin hit and brought him around so she could see. “Now, I like what you just did. You surprised him and probably got his mind off of fucking in the future.”

Sequoia said nothing. The asshole deserved it but she wasn’t going to play that game. She stared defiantly up at Rorke.

Rorke was still chortling and held the Fed fast. “Aren’t you proud of your work little Charlie? How about you finish it?” He held the gun out to her.

Sequoia saw a chance but she didn’t take it. She continued to stare at Rorke until he shrugged his shoulders at her in an ‘oh well’ gesture. He then flipped the gun around and blew the head off of the Fed. The blood sprayed on her face slightly and she heard screams that sounded like garbled versions of her name. Rorke was looking at her and he started wiping her face with his thumb. “He was a stupid fucker and deserved it but you’ve got spirit and I like it.”

Sequoia backed away from Rorke’s touch. She jerked her head away when he got to the healing cut from her bump on the head. She didn’t say anything though and glared at the laughter that was coming from Rorke.

Rorke laughed at her resistance. “I am eager to see what you can do in a fight little Charlie and when you have no rules.”

“That will never happen,” Sequoia finally said, her eyes narrowed in anger.

“Oh but it will,” Rorke said. He moved closer and looked at her before rubbing her cheek. He grinned when she jerked away and then grabbed her chin hard. He jerked her face upwards roughly so she wouldn’t resist. “Do you remember what I said? There is always room for one more. Maybe not now but we might see what we’ve got in the others.” He released her roughly and started walking towards the door. “You stay there and be comfortable. Maybe you’ll have a change of heart.”

“I highly doubt it.” Sequoia was only talking to ease the pain in her jaw. Also she wasn’t going to be a pawn in Rorke’s plans… if he had one.

Rorke chuckled at that. She had a comeback but he would get her. “We’ll see.” He paused and picked up her tomahawk and held it up. “Oh can I borrow this? I think it might make an interesting impression.” He was out the door and it was shut.

Sequoia growled, “You son of a bitch.” She waited until he was gone before moving from her seat. Something was up about her situation since she was not tied down and she couldn’t hear anything in terms of guards on the other side of the door and she could bet the door was unlocked. She didn’t like it and if the bastard thought he knew her father then… She looked around at the dead bodies and then up at the ceiling. She had an idea.

****

It sucked being knocked out. It was embarrassing to be dragged and it sucked royally when being dragged and you were still healing from bruised ribs. To Logan though, that was the least of his worries since he knew he was being dragged by Feds but the gas made him too disoriented to do anything about it.

When the canisters flew and the gas spread, he started feeling the effects of it but he fought. Next thing he knew Sequoia was ordering him to get up until he couldn’t move and then… He remembered telling her to run. She was still on her feet. She could call for help but she wouldn’t probably think of doing that. That was the last thing he thought of when he passed out and the first thing when he found himself being dragged. He saw them dragging his brother behind him and they passed Merrick who they were beating up and Merrick giving all that he had then he passed out again.

He woke up again still groggy and his head was heavy to find himself tied up and sitting. He heard something vibrate and recognized it as a shot. It was followed by Hesh screaming and his dad was shouting too. They were told to shut up but they didn’t and not too long after another shot rang out and he distinctly heard Hesh call the Feds mother fuckers or something. It was then that Logan realized they were screaming about her. He recalled that he didn’t see her with them as they were being dragged to wherever the hell they were.

It didn’t quite hit him then that she could be dead. His head was too heavy and passed out again. It was in the back of his mind that he had to say something to Hesh and calm him down but he couldn’t at the moment. _Damn Hesh you more than like her._ He woke up hearing Rorke clearly say, “Well I guess if you want something done right, do it yourself.”

Logan opened his eyes slowly, his head feeling clear. He was grabbed roughly by the head and it was pulled up for him to get a good look at Rorke who was looking at him and saying, “You’re awake. Good. Took you longer than little Charlie but then she’s a fighter now isn’t she?”

Logan said nothing and his head was released. He saw that he was in the room with his brother and dad. Elias looked like he had been given a beating. From what, Logan took a good guess when he saw Sequoia’s tomahawk in Rorke’s hand with the handle bloodied. It looked like the handle was the weapon of choice along with a fist. He looked over at Hesh and saw his brother struggling and angry. Logan had seen that kind of angry once before and it was a long time ago.

“Nice to have the family back together, isn’t it?” Rorke was holding the tomahawk by its blade and tapped the handle into his palm. “We’re just missing our quiet friend… Where’s Keegan?”

Logan watched as his father said he wasn’t going to tell him a damn thing. He watched as Rorke switched the tomahawk to his left only this time he held it by the handle. He got the feeling that it wasn’t going to end well. He was proven right when Rorke pulled out his pistol and shot him in the abdomen. It hurt like a bitch and he heard Hesh screaming that he was going to kill him. Logan looked just in time to see Hesh get a slice across his chest from the tomahawk while Rorke said, “Easy junior. I ain’t even started with you yet.”

Hesh was gritting his teeth but Logan could hear his cries of pain. He knew that thing was sharp which was why Sequoia had taught him to use the strap. She showed him once by demonstrating on one of his t-shirts. Logan knew his brother was in pain as he was.

“Logan! Look at me! Look at me, son!”

Logan shifted his gaze and looked up at his dad. Hesh was still grunting from the pain inflicted on him and he heard Rorke commenting on the tomahawk and mocking them. He was in pain but he felt he was seeing red at the moment.

“That’s right, you look at him! That’s it. Show him how much pain he’s causing you. Funny thing about your old man… He lets his men die to save his own ass.”

“Dammit Rorke! This is between you and me! Leave my boys out of it!”

Logan focused on pulling past the pain. He knew Hesh was trying as well. He gritted his teeth and watched in silence while Rorke acted like he was in charge. An idea came to him and it probably wasn’t the best idea but if he had a chance he would take it. He just had to look for an opening and get his hands free.

Logan narrowed his eyes the moment he saw his dad getting hit across the face by Rorke’s fists and the handle of the tomahawk. The man was saying that he had always been better. That was a fucking lie.

“You call yourself a Ghost?! You’re nothing! You and your sons, you’re dead!”

Logan had his moment. He got free and lunged for Rorke’s weapon. He had his hand on it. But then he was grabbed and he struggled.

“Oh he’s still got a little life in him! Didn’t he ever tell you not to aim guns at people?”

Logan struggled to get a better hold on the gun. Rorke though was forcing him to aim and in a direction that he didn’t want to. It hit like a cold bucket of water when he shot his dad not once but twice and Rorke was egging him on to do it. For a moment it looked like he was going to force him to shoot Hesh but the gun was wrestled away from him and the butt end was delivered in a hard blow.

Logan found himself on the ground with a splitting headache. The bruised ribs weren’t a problem now. He twitched to give some sign to his brother that he was okay to some degree. It dawned on him that there was a very real possibility that they were all going to die.

“You got fire in you kid. I like that… like little Charlie. Risking your life to protect your Captain.”

“Fuck you,” Logan managed to whisper.

Rorke didn’t hear him it seemed as he turned towards his dad and taunted him more about that decision he made more than ten years ago. As Logan watched, he heard his brother struggling against pain and anger and then the proud tones of his dad saying that he was his son. Logan blinked as he watched as Rorke popped a few more rounds into his dad. Hesh was shouting at him to stop before Rorke pushed his dad over and they were lying on the ground next to each other.

“I’ll kill you! You hear me? I’m gonna kill you, you son of a bitch! I’m gonna kill you! Mother fucker!”

 _Shut up Hesh_ , Logan’s mind screamed as he looked at his dad. He winced when he heard the smack of something hitting flesh. He realized that Rorke was hitting Hesh across the face. He then heard Hesh grit his teeth and cry out in pain. What the fuck was Rorke doing to his brother? Logan tried to move but he couldn’t summon the energy.

“I’m proud of you Logan. Everything’s going to be okay.”

Logan looked at his dad and saw the reassuring look. He knew that the worst was going to happen and Logan’s heart was trying hard not to break. He then heard his dad whisper, “Tell _her_ that it will be okay.”

Logan felt tears prick in the corner of his eyes as he saw the blood flow from his dad. All of a sudden Rorke’s boot placed itself across his dad’s neck and the bastard said, “You’re right Elias. I’m not a Ghost. I’m the man that hunts them and sends them back to the other side. And you know Charlie would have been proud of little Charlie.”

Logan was aware that he cried out the moment the barrel was pressed against his dad’s head and the trigger was pulled. He was also aware of not screaming but a high pitched cry. It was nothing he had heard before and it sounded quite scary and was enough for him to move to get a better look.

As it turned out, something had knocked Rorke over. The man had been taken down in a tackle and he was laughing. Logan saw the reason why. It was Sequoia! Somehow she had gotten free and had come looking for them. He felt relief but also annoyance at how stupid that was. She was outnumbered and…

“Now I see the little fire in you little Charlie,” Rorke was saying as he got up.

Logan looked and saw that even though she had tackled Rorke, he had managed to grab her and throw her off. She collided with a wall and Hesh was shouting, “Stop!” It also sounded like he was renewing his struggle to get free.

Logan watched as Rorke grabbed Sequoia and twisted her arms behind her back. She was struggling hard and she was pissed. Worse than pissed, he thought. He saw the spray of blood across her face and he briefly wondered whose blood it was. He was also aware that he was starting to fade. His injuries were starting to get the better of him but he forced his eyes open and tried to move a little. Maybe he could help…

“Easy there little Charlie. Wouldn’t want you to get hurt now,” Rorke was saying and laughing as if to taunt Logan and Hesh.

Logan saw them. Sequoia was struggling and she was saying something but he couldn’t understand. It dawned on him that she was probably saying something in Sioux. He also saw that there were tears forming in her eyes. She must have seen the whole thing or something.

Rorke finally got her to stop and jerked her hard and it forced her to look at him. She was glaring at him and to Logan it seemed with full on hate. He felt his breath hitch as Rorke said, “Now I like you little Charlie. You think about what I said earlier?”

Sequoia’s response was for her to spit. She sent a nice wad of it in Rorke’s face, right in the eye. Logan felt his lip twitch at that even though the situation was serious. He was proud of her for just being her. Of course that seemed to amuse Rorke but it also pissed him off from where Logan was standing or rather lying.

“No? Too bad then.”

Logan watched as Rorke flung Sequoia forward and gave her a hard backhand. She was down on the ground and she had landed near his dad’s body. Rorke was grinning at them but all Logan saw were her shoulders shaking and realized that she was sobbing and that hit harder than any bullet he was ever going to get. His eyes drooped and the last thing he saw was her hand reaching up and touching his dad like she was going to hug him.


	21. Chapter 21

_Pain is in your mind little Hawk. Most of it is. It is merely our body’s and mind’s response to whatever is hurting us…_

Sequoia wished she could speak to her father one last time. She wanted to tell him that she wished she hadn’t been born or some illogical thing. Of course she knew that he wouldn’t respond to it. The man was always too calm even with the most emotional of things. She hated it growing up because at times she wondered if he truly was proud of her or even loved her.

_Your father is right about pain. It is in your mind. What he didn’t tell you was that the pain in your heart… that is… different…_

_The gun was pressed against Elias’ head. The trigger was pulled and the bang… There was blood everywhere and all there was… Elias was lying there in a pool of blood… his blood…._

Sequoia took a breath and kept her head down as she sat where they had put her. She had witnessed the death of another person she loved. It made her angry… she felt this rage that was combination of all the pain she had taken over the years. The snide comments, the rejections, being told that she didn’t deserve to be there… it was all of it and she just… snapped.

She had managed to escape the room that she had been held in but not through the front door. She suspected that Rorke had baited her with a means of getting free. She was going to take it but not what he left for her. She ended up crawling through the vents. It was risky since she had no idea of the structure so she was going to wing it.

She crawled through, pausing every now and then to listen. She stopped when she heard Rorke’s voice. She paused to listen for the direction but it was hard to hear. Still she managed to figure out where to go and made her way there. It was then she heard a shot and Hesh shouting along with Elias. She kept going driven by the surge of urgency that overcame her. She had to find the right way.

She heard screams of pain and more shots and more screams. The screams were from Hesh. She heard him curse and scream in pain. Then… that bastard Rorke was laughing. She kept going and finally managed to find the place. She lifted the tile and the voices were clear and she poked her head down to check and then drop to the ground. She had hoped to get close enough to at least free Hesh and then get an advantage. She was stopped when she heard the shot and saw Elias dead.

She had reacted and gave the war cry she had learned but hadn’t used in years. She charged and tackled the bastard. Looking at it now she could see that it was a foolish gesture on her part but she had nothing but eyes on Rorke. Now she was tied up and they were going to die. Rorke was a Ghost hunter and he pretty much caught them. But there was still that part of her that refused to go out without a fight. She had to have a little faith.

She was sitting between Logan and Merrick and it gave her a good view of Hesh. Logan she knew was shot and while it wasn’t fatal, it was serious. Hesh though… His shirt was slashed and she could make out streaks of red. His face didn’t look good either with the nasty welt near his jaw. She focused more on the slashes to Hesh’s chest. They weren’t exactly fatal but could be if they weren’t treated; maybe a few stitches were needed. She wasn’t a doctor but she could see that both Logan and Hesh needed medical attention.

_Your father is right about pain. It is in your mind. What he didn’t tell you was that the pain in your heart… that is… different…_

Sequoia blinked as she heard her mother’s voice in her mind as the memory came forth. She remembered that day because it was the day her father lost a friend of his. He had shown his calm exterior and it had her wondering if he was sad at all. She had been too young to understand and during their training exercise had questioned too hard and ended up getting scolded harshly. She ended up getting a deep cut on her hand.

_She was crying as she tried to wash out the cut when her mother found her. She thought it was her father and tried wiping the tears away but ended up spreading the blood on her cheeks. She started to panic especially when the doorknob started turning and tried to hide._

_It turned out to be her mother. Sequoia was scared and pressed against the wall even though her mother did as a mother did and started cleansing the wound on her hand. It wasn’t until the bleeding was stopped that Sequoia stopped her tears and her mother said, “Tears are not forbidden, Daughter.”_

_Sequoia sniffed a bit as her mother tied the bandage on her hand and said, “Father doesn’t like me.”_

_“He loves you Daughter.”_

_“No, he doesn’t,” Sequoia replied, “All he cares about is training. He doesn’t love me.”_

_Her mother followed her out of the bathroom and outside to where Sequoia liked to play by herself in her free time. She sat by her daughter and straightened her hair. She wiped the tears that were now mere trickles. She repeated, “Tears are not forbidden, Sequoia. They are as natural as breathing and they can be loud but also sometimes they must be silent.”_

_Sequoia looked at her mother. Her tears were subsiding but she didn’t feel better. “Cold like Father? He doesn’t show pain.”_

_Her mother looked at her and said, “Your father is right about pain. It is in your mind. What he didn’t tell you was that the pain in your heart… that is… different…”_

_“What is the difference? He doesn’t smile. He had never smiled when I have shown him I can do what he shows me.”_

_“He loves you,” her mother insisted. “He knows better than anyone the pain of the heart. That it has the power to turn you into something against who you are or to strengthen it into something that can be formidable.”_

_Sequoia thought about it until her mother left her. She stayed there until nightfall and her father came for her. She felt scared because he was stern. She hadn’t come back to training and he was now forced to find her. She straightened up and waited for him to speak of her punishment._

_It never came. Instead he sat across her and looked at her and for the first time in a long time, he smiled and reached out to stroke her hair and caress her head. He then said, “I love you little Hawk. And I am very proud of you.” He paused a moment as he traced the dried tear tracks with his thumb. He then continued, “I just wish you to be strong my dearest daughter. There are things in this world that can damage what is in the heart.”_

_“The pain of the heart?”_

_“Yes. It can happen with the most terrible thing. For me it would be to lose you, my little treasure. If such a thing happens to any warrior…”_

_“It can make someone be that they are not,” Sequoia finished, recognizing her cue._

_“True but dear daughter should it ever happen to you… Do not let your anger take over. Find the source of what you will fight for and let it be your strength.” He paused a moment and then beckoned her over to indicate she was to crawl into his lap. When she was settled, he held her close and whispered, “The greatest strength is what I have for you and your mother… Love little Hawk. In the end, even when all looks like the end, love will be your power.”_

Sequoia looked down at her hands. She saw the piece of glass that she had picked up and held in her hands. She had managed to hide it in her palms and now… She glanced at the Feds as they finished stuffing gauze into Logan’s wounds. That would hold but he needed medical attention. They all did. She looked at Hesh who was bent over and could see pain etched on his face. Silently she started manipulating the glass to cut her bindings.

“The boss wants the youngest and the girl to be taken alive. The girl is not to be harmed.”

Sequoia blinked as she glanced at the Feds. Her fingers moved the glass and she was almost free. She had to time it so that she made her move at the right moment. She felt the glass cut her fingers and blood start to flow. Well that was going to spoil Rorke’s plans of being unharmed. That could play into her plans. She was almost free.

It took a lot to not react when one of the Feds headed straight for Hesh and point his pistol at his head. Instead she goaded her wounds to bleed and added a couple of extra slashes. It was painful but worth it since it caught the attention of one of the Feds and they started asking who hurt her and where was all the blood coming from in Spanish. They were confused.

Sequoia saw Hesh lift his head slightly and she gave a slight shake of her head. It had been subtle so as not to attract attention. There was blood all over her hands and the Feds were shouting about getting medical attention. The one holding the pistol on Hesh told them to get the first aid kit and turned his attention to Hesh and readied to pull the trigger. It was then that it happened.

Sequoia had been trained to see the subtleties of things and how to read the reaction of things upon things. It was extreme Newtonian principles in action. She knew that a sniper round had hit the one poised to kill Hesh. She was the first to react and leapt from her seat with the piece of glass in her hands. She jabbed it in the eye of the nearest Fed and grabbed and turned him to use him like a shield until the others sprang free. She then broke his neck and moved onto the next one by knocking the barrel of the rifle aside and gripped the Fed’s pistol while it was still holstered and fired.

It hit the foot and the Fed went down. The momentum pulled the pistol free and Sequoia raised it and fired at the Fed coming in the same time Logan fired. He had managed to get free with help from Merrick and had picked up the pistol Hesh had kicked his way when he caught his second wind and strangled the Fed on the ground. She then turned back to the injured Fed she shot and fired a round into his head. She then said, “No one is getting anyone today,” while she took deep breaths like she was coming up for air.

The room was cleared and it looked like everyone was in one piece… more or less. Sequoia found a knife and cut the bindings on Hesh’s wrists as he asked, “You okay Merrick?”

“Ribs broken, but I can move,” Merrick replied wincing slightly. He looked at Sequoia as she reached down and picked up a rifle and took a few mags of ammo. He saw the blood on her hands. “How about you Hawk?”

Sequoia looked at her hands. “Small price to pay but worth it,” she said as she wriggled them. She indicated at the Fed with the glass shard in his eye, “He can’t say anything about it.” She glanced at Hesh and Logan knowing full well they weren’t going to say how bad they were feeling.

_Little Hawk… don’t let your anger rule…_

Sequoia took a deep breath as she shook the excess blood off. “We need to move, now.” She glanced at Hesh as he pulled a rifle off the ground to use. Logan did the same but it was Hesh that caught her eye. She saw that he wanted to stop and look at her hands. They were covered with blood and they looked worse than what they really were compared to his injuries which could be worse and what they looked like and a gunshot was a gunshot.

Merrick nodded and readied the rifle he had grabbed, “Let’s move.” There were questions to be answered but they could be answered later when they were out of there. He asked, “Hawk… eyes and ears?”

“Roger that,” Sequoia replied. She looked at Logan and motioned that he was to stay by her. She nodded at Hesh that it would be okay.

They set out as Hesh relayed to Keegan that they were on the move and that he should get there as soon as he could. Sequoia kept an eye out checking every corner as they passed while Keegan said that he would meet them in the kitchen. It was an urge to want to just throw down her weapon, walk away and cry but they were not out of danger yet. This was like any other battle, like the trenches; she had to help get them out.

“We need to make it to the west side of the building. It’s our best chance of getting out of here,” Merrick said as they followed him down towards the rendezvous.

“Noise, behind the door,” Hesh said as he paused to listen. He looked at his brother and Sequoia who were taking position.

Sequoia moved forward to listen and held up her hand. Her eyes were narrowed as she listened and signaled numbers with her fingers. She looked back and nodded as she murmured, “Let’s make this quick.”

Letting her acquired rifle hang, she pulled the knife out and opened the door and rushed forward and slit the first Fed’s throat. There was a certain amount of intimacy when it came to close quarters combat. It was like they said about murders that were stabbings; they were personal and in this case it was personal.

Usually it was a bad idea to let something get personal especially in war. Elias had warned them of that when they first encountered Rorke. His time would come but not at the expense of the mission of the time. This time though she could afford to make it personal and she would do it the only way she knew how. It was reckless and foolish but in her mind the Feds were with Rorke and every bastard that was killed by her hand was like a blow to the man.

_Do not make it personal, Daughter. There will be people who you once called friend who will be the enemy…_

She brushed the saying aside as she moved onward to distract another Fed and allow for a clean shot from Merrick and Logan. Hesh wasn’t too far behind and they cleared the room. She looked at the bodies and around, “Clear.”

Merrick gave her a nod as they locked gazes. They pressed onward until he noticed the radio the Fed had and gestured towards Hesh, “Grab that radio. We can put some distance between us and them.”

Logan watched as Hesh grabbed the radio and his lip twitched from the sudden movement. He looked down where he was shot and sighed. It was laced with pain and he hoped that Sequoia wouldn’t say anything. He didn’t want to be babied though that was the last thing that she would ever do with him.

He wasn’t to get his wish when she drew alongside him as Hesh was getting the radio and ask, “You okay?” It was low but it also held the note that she didn’t want Logan to be tough and say he was fine when he clearly wasn’t.

Logan looked at her and saw the expression. He replied equally low, “Not really. I don’t think they even got it out.”

“They didn’t,” she said. When Logan looked at her she added, “I watched.” It sounded strange the way she said it but she wasn’t in the mood for trying to find better words. Silently she walked over to a downed Fed and felt in his vest. She opened pockets until she found what she was looking for and turned Logan so his back was to the others while she kept an eye out.

She had found some combat gauze and applied it by sticking her hands under Logan’s shirt. Under other circumstances he would have teased her about making Hesh jealous. He didn’t though since he wasn’t in the mood but rather hurt and… He had shot his dad and had watched while Rorke blew his head off in front of him and he did nothing to stop it. He just watched while she applied the gauze to staunch the bleeding that had started again with a dulled expression but he was alert to his surroundings. He didn’t even know how she was feeling and what she would feel when he told her what his dad told him to tell her.

“That’ll hold for now. Come on,” Sequoia said in a low and gentle tone. Her expression was stern for battle but her eyes conveyed to Logan that it was okay and she had his back.

Logan nodded and turned to do his job. He turned just as Hesh said, “Sounds like they heard us. They’re sending more of them our way.”

“They are,” Sequoia said since she was listening to the same transmission. She policed around for more mags to distribute and tossed them to the others. She pulled a vest off and stuffed them and put it on. She wrinkled her nose at the stench of a dead man.

_Hesh, what’s your location?_

“Moving to the kitchen. Why?” Hesh frowned as he opened the door.

_I’m almost there. You better find a place to hide. Lots of guys headed right to you._

“How many?”

_Too many._

That had the group sprinting. Both Logan and Hesh were moving but they were scrunched trying to not hiss in pain. Merrick had a harder time since he slipped and fell against the carts. The noise was sure to bring the Feds in. He was on the ground and struggling to get up. Sequoia took action and waved them in while she grabbed Merrick by his forearm and half dragged and half carried him into the room to hide.

“Down! Get down!” Keegan motioned wildly as he backed in.

Sequoia and Merrick ended up falling against a wall and he was leaning more on her. She motioned for him to stop moving and enforced it by keeping a tight grip on the man. It was probably ironic since they had more of an antagonistic relationship but now wasn’t a time to be picky. She whispered, “Hold still old man.”

Hesh looked up from the position on the ground he had taken. His chest was hurting like a bitch and the cuts had opened up again and were bleeding. His shirt had gotten stuck on the wound and when it pulled… It was the least of his worries now as he looked while Sequoia was holding Merrick against her and whispering for him to be quiet. He locked eyes with her and she nodded at him in reassurance and he did the same for her.

They waited while the Feds marched past. Keegan was ready when one decided to check the room that they were hiding in and took him out. It was a minor relief that the group didn’t notice and head back. They would have been in trouble then. When they were clear, Sequoia released Merrick and helped him on his feet and handed him his rifle. He nodded and said, “Keep low. There’s gonna be more of them.”

Hesh sidled up to Sequoia and gave a gentle bump with his elbow. It was a silent query and she said in a low tone, “I’m okay.” She reinforced it with a gentle pat to his arm.

It was enough for now since they couldn’t afford to stop. They followed Keegan as he took point. It was too soon when they came across another group of Feds coming near and they got low and quiet.

_Attention everyone. Some friends of mine have gone missing. Return them to me dead or alive and you will have done your country a great service._

Sequoia got low like she was hiding in the tall grasses of the plains and inched her way forward to get a better look. It would probably look strange to her companions but she knew what she was doing. She looked as she inched her way forward. When she was satisfied she signaled, “Okay, they’re gone.”

_Merrick, Hesh, Logan. If you’re listening… good luck._

“Thanks for the shout out, asshole,” Merrick muttered.

_Little Charlie… consider this your true test. I look forward to seeing you win. I’m sure you’ll make Charlie proud._

“Don’t listen to him, Hawk.”

Sequoia glanced to see Hesh looking at her. She blinked at that and what she saw in Hesh’s eyes. She couldn’t find any words to say. She nodded and managed to get out, “I know.” It was all she could say.

The way how Rorke sounded, like he was looking forward to a good peep show or something… she knew that this wasn’t over between him and her. Even though she refused to join him right then and there… She sensed that he would be back. She wasn’t going to worry about it now since the ultimate task ahead of them was to survive.

They made their way through the rows of what once were expensive boutiques and the like. She wondered what they were like back before all this. She hadn’t really traveled much off the reservation except when her father took her on hunting and training in the forests and once took her to California. He took her to the redwood forests. So for the most part this was her first trip to Vegas and she really didn’t like it overmuch. She mentioned it as such as Hesh passed her on the way out, “I would really like to get out of this shit hole.”

Hesh glanced at her. He didn’t blame her for not liking it here at least in terms of the experience. Hell at this moment he didn’t like it here either and that was because of what was going on and what he thought happened. He just wanted to get out and get that sonofabitch Rorke for everything he did and implied he did.

He wasn’t the first to notice that Sequoia hadn’t been dragged in with the rest of them. His dad noticed and he could tell by the look on his face. Logan was out of it even though he was somewhat awake. They were just sitting and tied up while Merrick was taking a beating and cursing at the Feds. One of them started telling them to behave after they started struggling to get free otherwise there would be consequences.

It had been hard not to demand where Sequoia was by name. Ever since that first time when Rorke called her little Charlie, it seemed that everyone was under the impression not to give the man more. His dad, Merrick and Keegan seemed to know more of the why than he and Logan but they had their own reasons. Yet the Feds knew who they were looking for and one of them dared to suggest that Rorke was doing more than having a conversation with her.

He screamed when he heard the first shot and he thought he heard someone else shouting as well. Either way he thought she was gone after the second shot and it just served to piss him off that he wanted to tear Rorke to pieces. He felt that he had failed her. Then everything that led to dad dying and him and Logan getting hurt… It seemed to fuel a rage inside until she showed up and tackled Rorke. It relieved that anger but even still he couldn’t really speak to her unless he had to but he did make a mental promise to talk to her when they were out of here. He just hoped that she would understand.


	22. Chapter 22

“I’ll carry him,” Sequoia said firmly. She looked at the four men and pointed out, “Merrick has broken ribs and you two have bleeding injuries. Keegan needs to keep an eye out.”

“And your hands?” Hesh gestured at her hands that were covered with dried blood and some oozing blood. They looked like she had just dealt with a man down that was bleeding all over the place.

“They’re fine. Logan can spot and cover, right?” Sequoia looked at Logan with a raised brow.

“Gotcha covered, Hawk,” Logan replied. He shot a look at Hesh that told him to not say anything else. If anything they could argue more about this when they were out of there.

They had just made it to the outside of the casino the now compromised safe house was in and had to make their way to where the choppers would be. The last one missing was Riley. That dog had done as he was told and hid and it looked like he had been looking for them. In the years that they had him, Hesh and Logan had never treated an injury on Riley any more serious than say the wolf bites when they were in No Man’s Land.

They had taken the quickest way down when the Fed were going to attempt to use gas on them again and that was through the window of the pyramid. They slid down but because some windows were missing they fell right through and hit the ground. Logan was knocked out but came to rather quick. It didn’t help that Sequoia was patting his cheek to the point of almost slapping him.

“Logan, you okay?”

“He’s fine.”

“I’m fine.”

Logan and Sequoia had answered Hesh’s question at the same time. He looked at Sequoia who was not completely apologetic that she had been slapping him awake. He said, “For once I would like to exfil without falling.”

“I’d be more impressed if you exfiled without injury,” Sequoia replied as she gave him a hand up. She was grinning as she said it, “Not that I don’t mind playing doctor in the field.” She gave a slight chuckle since that was what it seemed like she did most of the time but it was fine. She added, “Plus Skye likes scars.”

“Now you tell me,” Logan replied not at all put out. It was odd timing but it helped put his mind off of the fact that he was sore all over and he may have agitated his ribs. His abdomen was shot and he had a dull throb from the hit to the head. “You really have lousy timing Hawk.”

“If that were true then you wouldn’t be here now would you?”

They chuckled at that while they gathered to recon. The way out was just ahead and Keegan was saying that if he could get them to the Strip he could get transport out. Merrick said, “Take it slow. We’re gonna be outnumbered.”

As they approached the door with Sequoia in the lead, that was when Riley came out and attacked the Fed. It left the dog out in the open, nothing that hadn’t happened before, but they were outnumbered. Sequoia had managed to move up and get into a good position to cover Riley. Hesh was calling to Riley at that time while firing.

It was then they all heard something that surprised all of them. Riley had gotten hit and they could hear him whine. Following that was a war cry that startled everyone. It did the trick and brought out the Feds that were in hiding and they were cut down by Sequoia as she made her way over to where Riley was down. She held out a hand and started murmuring soothing phrases in Sioux while the others caught up.

Hesh had caught up with her and started looking over Riley. They shared a look at what just happened and Hesh bent over the dog. He said, “He’s okay! Bullet went straight through!”

That was true but Riley was down. He wasn’t going to make it out on his own steam. That was where the current discussion was at. Sequoia volunteered to take him. She looked at them and quickly picked up the dog and waited for Logan to get into position. She looked at Hesh and nodded that she got this and followed Logan.

The Feds were still swarming around and to add to the problem was the fact that there were helicopters bringing in more men and probably going to fire on them. Sequoia trotted while following Logan until they came to a statue to take cover. She set Riley down and he whimpered at her. She rubbed his head and muttered soothingly in her people’s words while she brought up her rifle to cover.

“Put some fire on those birds!” Hesh shouted from his position. He spared a glance to see Sequoia bent over Riley while Logan was giving cover.

Logan aimed high and fired at the choppers that were overhead. He aimed for the rotor and got it smoking after emptying a clip on it. He popped it and reloaded as the chopper bobbed away. They weren’t going to be doing anything for the time being and if they were smart, they would stay away. He looked at Sequoia and said, “Hawk, grab Riley. Let’s go.”

Sequoia nodded and picked up the dog. She murmured, “It’s okay Riley. Come on.”

The next stop ended with her near Hesh and she set the dog down and began checking him. She barely flinched when gunshots pinged by. As far as she was concerned, this was like the trenches in Santa Monica or doing sweeps of the Wall. You got used to it. She checked the injury and pulled out some gauze. It probably wasn’t going to be too effective but it would help.

“How’s Riley?”

Sequoia looked at Hesh. She replied, “He’s okay. Just going to try something to keep the bleeding to a minimum.” She wrapped the leg where the injury was. “I’m not a vet but it should help.”

Hesh took a moment and put his hand on top of hers. When she looked at him he asked, “You doing okay?”

Sequoia saw that there was more to the question than say physical injuries like her hands. It was hardly the place but then again when was there a good time when in the middle of war or fighting for your life? She looked up at him and replied, “As well as I can.”

It was all Hesh was going to get from her. It really wasn’t a good time to talk but ever since they busted out, it was like she was running on automatic at times. Most of the things she did was like doing routine things like brushing your teeth. There was little in terms of emotions except when she and Logan had a chuckle. He was concerned about her thoughts and feelings especially the whole thing with Rorke. While he wasn’t the best in terms of sharing and it was a two way street…

“We can talk later,” Sequoia said as she finished what she was doing for Riley. She touched his hand with a gentle pat. She then looked behind Hesh and swung her rifle up and fired at the Fed that was aiming right at them. She had fired pretty close and those guns were loud. She asked, “You okay?”

“I’m good. No ringing,” Hesh replied to indicate that he knew what she meant. He turned to get back to his job but not before touching her hand one more time. He looked her in the eye and said, “Just… be careful.”

They continued onward until the call came to push forward. Sequoia picked up Riley and again soothed the dog as she carried him. She had meant what she said when she claimed she could carry him. She could and was able to so far. The thing was like anything else dead weight can become super heavy. Because Riley couldn’t move too much, it was like lifting barbells for bicep curls. The added weight also came from Riley’s vest gear as well.

Sequoia though wasn’t going to quibble or complain. Riley was a member of the team like anyone else. Hell if it had been Keegan she would have volunteered. Still she couldn’t ignore the fact that her hands were starting to ache. The cuts from the glass were reopening when she pulled the wounds carrying the dog. It was hard to tell which blood was human and which was dog.

At the next stop she pulled out what she had left of the combat gauze and wrapped her hands to provide grip on them. It looked weird but at least it was something to help. She rubbed the dog’s head since they stopped again to take cover. She rubbed his ears and said, “It’s okay Riley. We’re almost out of here.”

Riley for his part licked her hand gently and gave a whimper. Sequoia couldn’t help but smile at the dog. He wasn’t hers and yet he seemed to have taken a liking to her. She hadn’t been kidding when she explained it to Hesh. A big plus was that she liked dogs. They were very much like people in the need for companionship and working together.

“Command, we’re on the exterior of the hotel, taking heavy fire from enemy birds. Where’s our exfil?”

Sequoia looked in the direction of Keegan. She rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead to wipe away the sweat that was beading up. The movement ended up smearing the blood on her face and it looked like war paint. She peered from behind where she had taken cover with Riley and some bullets hit the statue, sending chunks flying. She blinked at that and peered again to catch a glimpse of where it was coming from. She looked at everyone else and saw Logan and signaled him.

“Now I know you are crazy,” Logan said once she relayed her idea.

“It’s how we can draw them out. The birds I have no control over,” she replied. She looked at the situation. “We have to push forward if we are going to get out.”

Logan shook his head, “If this were…”

“Hold that thought,” she countered. She knew Hesh would get on her case. They all would and the sad thing was that they would do the same thing. What she did know was that her father didn’t expect anything less from her. He expected her to perform at the same level and better than the boys she had trained with. “Just cover me.”

Logan tried not to swear when she left without saying a word. This was really going to drive his brother insane. Yet deep down he knew they would do the same if they came up with it and weren’t injured. He sighed and he pulled up his weapon to cover her as she made her way around to a vantage point. “This is bat shit crazy. Hesh is going to kill me.”

 _I’m going to kill Logan_ , was Hesh’s first thought after hearing shouting and more of that war cry that startled everyone earlier. He saw Feds popping out of their hiding places and he took them out. He was able to catch a glimpse of where Logan was with Riley and noticed that Sequoia was gone and then put two and two together.

He really couldn’t be mad at that. She was doing her job. They had to break through and exfil. She was merely providing the means. It didn’t mean that he had to like it and he really didn’t. She was putting herself at risk and while it was something he would do himself, he didn’t want her hurt and for reasons that he had to keep dampened down for the time being. He looked forward and took out what popped out when she made noise to distract them.

“Damn, Hawk is…” Keegan was muttering more to himself.

Hesh finished the thought, “She is something."  _Just be careful._

Sequoia was being as careful as she could. It didn’t help when a well-placed shot took off a piece of statuary. Chunks flew and she got hit in the face mostly on her forehead and on the corners of her eyes since she turned to avoid the brunt of it. She called out insults and taunted them. Once she got lucky with a grenade; it ended up in the bird that was dropping reinforcements and it sure surprised the hell out of her.

Once it was clear enough to push forward, she made her way back to where Riley was and he whimpered his delight in seeing her again. She rubbed his head and prepared to pick him up on their go. “Good boy, Riley.”

“Are you trying to kill me?”

Sequoia looked to see that it was Hesh and not Logan that had been covering. She replied, “I was doing what you or the others would have done. The path is clear enough to move forward.” She had put her arms under Riley and was prepared to lift him.

“Hawk…” Hesh didn’t say anything at first but looked in the sound of the gunfire. He lifted his rifle to move forward and sighed. He looked back at her and said, “I don’t want to lose you too.” He said nothing else and moved forward.

Sequoia blinked as she picked up Riley and followed Hesh. She was covered by Logan from behind and it seemed that was going to work. She set down Riley one last time and brought her rifle up. She petted the dog and looked around for a target. She stayed by the dog and fired whenever she saw the telltale signs of gunfire. What Hesh said and the way he said it… It snapped her out of her funk that she had been operating on since the moment they got free.

_Ghost Six, this is Gator One. Coming in hot. Gator One, Fox Two._

_Gator Two. Fox Three!_

_Command this is Prince Two-Zero, we have PID on our boys._

_Ghost Six, we got a ride home for you guys if you want it._

“Hell yeah!”

Sequoia breathed a sigh of relief. They still had to get to the transport. Then she would have time to think. She picked up Riley and waited until she had coverage and started moving. She said, “Come on Logan. We’re leaving.”

“Right behind you,” Logan replied as he followed her while she followed Hesh. It was like making ducks but it worked. Now that they were almost there, it was like their bodies wanted to shut down and just rest. He pushed through it and followed. They could make it.

_Command this is Prince Two-Zero. We’re loaded up and RTB._

_Solid copy. Nice work, two-zero._

Sequoia lifted Riley onto the chopper and climbed aboard. She was plunked next to Hesh but she reached for the dog mostly to pull him closer and make room for the others. She ended up leaning against Hesh and almost jumped away since she remembered his injuries but he kept her there by wrapping his arm around her. They sat there together with him holding her and her holding the dog. She relaxed a little and leaned into his embrace while she petted Riley.

****

_In the event a Ghost is killed, his remains are placed face down with his head pointed in the direction of his home… his weapon next to him. We do it this way so that when our fallen are taken to the other side… they can watch over us and keep an eye on our enemy._

_Dad was gone. Nothing could change that. And I thought I lost Hawk… until she proved that the ‘dead’ could rise. And Logan and I… we were still here. The three of us were here. The Federation was still here. Rorke was still here._

Hesh paused from his writing and made a slight face. The stitches he had endured pulled a little and were uncomfortable and itchy. He had been lucky though. The medic said that if they had been made deeper, he would have been in trouble.

When they got back to base, first things first: it was the infirmary. Logan had to have the bullet extracted and he took that a lot better than the last time he was under a doctor’s care. In fact it seemed to Hesh that Logan was withdrawn and quiet and that there was something lingering under those eyes like he was holding onto a secret or something.

Hesh thought that Logan was starting to think about what happened and how he might end up twisting it to be his fault that dad was gone. Hesh knew better though. It wasn’t Logan’s fault. His brother took a chance and with a gunshot wound to the abdomen that was bleeding out slowly and painfully. If anything it was his fault that he couldn’t do anything.

Sighing Hesh sat up and rubbed his chest trying to ease the pulling. He could still feel Rorke slowly dragging the blade of the tomahawk across his chest. The sting and the pressure… It was slow and agonizing and he had tried not to give that bastard satisfaction of crying out. He knew he did when it became too much especially when he retraced the wounds and cut deeper. That hurt worse than getting hit across the face with the handle. It couldn’t compare though to the fact that dad was gone.

Hesh remembered screaming with Logan when Rorke pulled the trigger. He also remembered that he wanted to tear out Rorke’s lungs and his heart. He had already wanted to do that when he thought that she was dead. When he heard those two shots, he thought he had lost the most amazing woman he was ever going to meet in his lifetime. It hardly seemed fair that they had started on a relationship only to have her taken away. It was like he had already started to die, if he could put it that way and he could see it in Dad’s eyes when he shouted at the Federation for being bastards. Hesh remembered that Dad was her godfather and…

When she appeared out of nowhere accompanied by that cry of hers… Hesh thought he was seeing things. Yet there she was flesh and blood and she had body tackled Rorke. The cry had been blood curdling in his mind… like she was there to kill and destroy everything until there was nothing left. That certainly was her intention from the looks of things. Then of all things she spit into Rorke’s face when she refused his offer. It was… out of place and yet not.

It pissed him off when Rorke hit her and knocked her down. Hesh may have been taught to defend himself and he sparred with women before but never would he consider hitting one because he was pissed off. Besides it was Hawk and he really liked… no, cared deeply for her. He wasn’t sure of what to call it but… Hindsight is 20/20 and people can be their own worst critic on past actions and thoughts as well as feelings. The sad thing was that Hesh wasn’t sure about things now. Sometimes tragedy changed things.

She was alive and he was grateful for that but it seemed that she was not even her usual silent observer or even ‘have fun’ self. Again he realized that she was Dad’s goddaughter and they had a relationship of sorts. Just because he and Logan didn’t know about it didn’t mean that it didn’t exist and to her it was like losing her family again… Like losing her father again.

Hesh sighed again and looked at his journal. He was angry and he wanted Rorke but he also was in pain. Not just physical pain but emotional. Since their mom died, Dad was the only person in his and Logan’s lives. The man taught them everything they knew thus far; he taught them to be soldiers and men. It was hard to think that Dad wasn’t going to be there anymore. He also felt vulnerable since he knew that deep down this wasn’t over.

_This war wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. I know he will come back for her. I heard what they said about her and being unharmed. I heard what was said over the comms. He wants her and for something that I can only imagine the worst for… like hunting Ghosts. It sounds crazy but it makes sense and truth be told, I don’t want that to happen. I can’t let that happen… not to her because I…_

Hesh looked up from his writing when a noise caught his attention. He looked for Riley who was asleep on the floor. He was going to be fine according to the medics. It was a through and through. He saw that it wasn’t the dog since he was still snoozing. He looked elsewhere.

Logan was on the top bunk where he had camped out after being released. He hadn’t really wanted to talk to anybody and seemed almost reluctant to look at Hawk when they crossed paths. Hesh didn’t know why but let it be. They were all numb over what had happened.

It wasn’t Logan since his brother was wide awake and watching him. Hesh asked quietly, “What?”

Logan gave a slight eye roll and turned to lie on his side, “Seriously dude, if you have to keep asking that…”

“Call it a clarification,” Hesh interrupted knowing where it was going. “And you were the one staring at me,” he added as he glanced at the lower bunk.

Logan snorted at it a bit soberly. He leaned over, his lip twitching slightly from the pain in his abdomen and his ribs, though those didn’t bother him too much anymore, and took a peek. It was good cover to watch his brother stare at the lump on the bottom bunk. He flopped back on his bunk and said, “Everything looks good here. You gonna write that one down too?”

“Shut up,” Hesh whispered.

Logan looked at his brother, his expression somber. He didn’t say anything at first but after they stared in silence he said, “You know I’m with you big brother.” He gave a slight nod to seal the deal. It was pretty much how they had agreed to anything from the stupid stuff they used to get in trouble with to the years at war they had now.

Hesh nodded in returned. His gaze shifted to the lump that was asleep on his bed and then back up at Logan with a silent question. It was answered with the same silence. “Get some sleep little brother,” he said.

“As long as you finally say it,” Logan said as he adjusted his position on his bed. He sighed and added, “Trust me big brother. She’ll feel the same. She just says it differently.”

“Go to sleep,” Hesh said firmly and almost a bit loudly.

Logan chuckled and turned his back towards his brother. He started humming the tune he had heard earlier and he felt better. He hummed the tune since he didn’t know the words and closed his eyes.

Hesh kept his gaze on Logan’s bunk to make sure his little brother was asleep. Or at least going to sleep since he heard the tune. He looked at his bunk and then at his journal. He really only had one more thing to write and he scribbled it hastily before putting it away. He crossed over to where his bunk was and sat on the edge and debated internally some thoughts before taking off his boots and swinging his legs onto the bed.

He was barely settled when the other occupant turned in their sleep and pressed into his body. It was automatic for him to wrap his arm around the body that curled against him and he looked down to see the bandaged hand of Sequoia flop over his abdomen and he absently picked it up to look at it and study the self-damage she did to get free and held it. He stared up at the bottom bunk deep in thought and listened as Logan’s humming died off as he dropped off to sleep. He felt Sequoia’s fingers twitch in his and looked down.

There were tear tracks and was surprised to see them. It only served to strengthen his belief that she had felt Dad’s death more than she cared to let on and that was coupled with what happened earlier. He didn’t know if it was a pride thing or something she had been taught and frankly didn’t care. She was hurting too whether she wanted to admit it or not. He would be there for her. He moved his fingers so they touched with hers and the twitching seemed to stop. Hesitantly he pressed a kiss to her head and propped his head under his free arm and closed his eyes.

_Goodbye Dad. I’ll never take your place, but I’ll die trying to fill it. And I won’t let Rorke get her because I love her…_


	23. Chapter 23

Anger is considered a natural part of grief. A person may be angry at what life threw at them and it could be because of some tragic event in a person’s life. It certainly was the case for Sequoia as she paced madly in an area on the carrier that wasn’t in the way of anyone that could be hurt by asking her the innocent question if she was okay. It wasn’t their fault but…

They made it to the carrier around nightfall and everyone felt the exhaustion creep in. First things first though were to get the injured to the infirmary. Not even Sequoia could avoid it since Hesh wouldn’t let her get away after bringing in Riley to be checked out. He made it so they noticed her hands and her ‘first aid’ for them. So that meant enduring examination and cleaning which she took with a stoic expression that it seemed to scare the medics when she didn’t flinch at the sting of the cleaning. When they were finished, they sent her away.

She knew that it was going to be some time for Hesh and Logan to be seen and taken care of and they weren’t inclined to let her wait. She would have bullied her way into waiting but Merrick of all people had to be the voice of reason. He convinced her to leave because they did need the space to work and her hands weren’t in the best shape to help out like before with Logan and Keegan. She had to hand it to the man to be maddening logical when it suited him. So they ended up walking through the carrier to the area they were given.

“I know you’re tired of being asked but are you okay Hawk?”

Sequoia was tired of being asked that by everyone. She was okay. Her hands weren’t that bad. “My hands are fine Merrick. I just cut them. It wasn’t like I stuck them into a blender or something,” she said. Normally it would have been in a sarcastic or mean tone but she tempered it. The man meant well and now he was in command.

It sounded strange to hear that even if it was her thoughts doing the talking. Now that Elias was gone, Merrick was in charge. How did he think of that? She added, “What about you? Ribs okay?”

“Like what broken ribs do. I’ll live.”

“Good because I’ll get bored if you don’t,” she replied and made the effort to give a grin. She glanced at the man and was relieved that he managed to give a scowl at her like he would when she sassed him.

“You’ll find someone else.” Merrick scowled at her like he would but his heart wasn’t completely into it. Still she was making an effort. So could he.

“Nah,” she replied still smiling softly. “No one else likes being called an old man when they know it is true.” She had opened the door to let him in. “And I rarely get to play doorman.”

“Your sense of humor is off. Must be those bat shit crazy stunts you pull,” Merrick countered. He motioned for her to come in and went to where he kept a stash of good stuff and took it out and two glasses. At the raised brow she gave he said, “I know people Hawk. I always have a stash.”

“And here I was thinking you were an uptight old man,” Sequoia replied as she accepted the tumbler with whiskey. She looked at the amber liquid with a curious look. At Merrick’s question of whether or not she had whiskey before she replied, “Actually I never drank the hard stuff before. Once or twice beer.”

The first sip was okay. She wasn’t into alcohol in general but she had done a couple of ‘traditions’ like the shots for a fallen comrade. She was not even going to go to that memory where someone decided to get her drunk and try to engage her into strip poker. She hadn’t been _that_ drunk and refused but she did make it a memorable occasion and it circulated a story that people thought was made up. No one wanted to believe that she was capable of that.

Drinking with Merrick… it didn’t dull the fact that they were still reeling from loss and the fact that they almost had died but it relived it a little. It loosened them both up to talk. Sequoia asked, “Merrick… how do you feel about… being in command… now?”

Merrick noticed that she was hesitant about asking and realized she was considering how it sounded and gauging his reaction to the question. In all honesty, he really wasn’t sure. He hadn’t stopped to think about it. “I never thought about it until now,” he admitted.

Sequoia finished her whiskey and a little too fast in her opinion. She felt it go to her head and realized she was probably going to have a hangover. She didn’t relish that but she felt she had made Merrick uncomfortable at the moment. “Sorry about that,” she offered. “I should go since I’m just not myself.” She bumped into the desk and knocked some things askew and added, “Definitely not myself.”

She had knocked over a stack to reveal what looked like a strange package wrapped in cloth. There was a letter attached to it with her name on it. She frowned and picked it up.

Merrick recognized what it was and noticed that she was a bit of a lightweight with alcohol. He wasn’t sure if she was ready to even read that or see what it was and in her state. It was too late since she brushed him away when he tried to take it from her. What happened next… maybe was inevitable since she hadn’t really addressed her views and emotions.

Sequoia read the letter briefly and then looked at the bundle and picked it up. She recognized the weight but even then she didn’t want to think it possible. She unwrapped it though and blinked at the shiny metal and engraving that she hadn’t seen in years. It was heavier than she remembered but it fit well into her hand. She looked at the letter and then at her father’s tomahawk and anything involving alcohol was gone. In an instant she exclaimed, “Son of a bitch!”

Merrick watched as she threw the tomahawk with such force that it actually stuck to the wall she threw it at. It was a thinner metal anyway but… When he turned she was gone in a huff and Keegan walked in looking very confused and asking, “What the hell was that?”

“That,” Merrick replied as he pointed to the tomahawk, “And she might be a little under the influence.”

Keegan took the scene in and understood what happened. He, like Merrick, knew that Elias had meant to give it to her at some point. The timing now was not good. He shook his head knowing that it was not going to be a good couple of hours. He looked at Merrick and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Going to calm her down. I don’t need her beating up every soldier that she comes across.”

“I’d be more concerned about her doing something to herself than to someone else,” Keegan replied as he stopped Merrick from leaving. “She’s not that much different from Charles.”

“Tell me about it.” Merrick looked at the open door and they both looked at the tomahawk. He added, “Though I am sure the rest comes from Anna Lee.”

So that was why Sequoia was pacing madly in an area that was out of the way. She was angry. Angry at what… she knew. She just couldn’t voice it yet. She just wanted to be alone to vent and maybe cause a little bit of pain to herself, which she was doing by clenching her hands into fists. She could feel the pull on her scabs and it felt good. It felt good to stir up the rage she had felt when she saw Rorke pull the trigger on Elias.

_If you are reading this, then I am dead…_

“No fucking shit Elias,” she murmured to herself as she paced.

_My Little Hawk… this is written because it is as I knew it… I have not lived to see the coming war…_

“Not lived my ass. You greeted the start of it! You left me when you promised!”

Sequoia started muttering angrily in Sioux. She cursed Elias and her father and everything that had happened. It was plain venting. She pounded a fist on the wall and leaned against it, pressing her forehead to her fist. She felt angry tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She hadn’t really cried since her father died and now… No she was the tough one, the patient one… tears could be perceived as a weakness.

“Glad that you stopped pacing. You looked like a steamroller.”

Sequoia turned her head to see Logan there staring. He wasn’t scared of her but it looked like he was nervous about something. She took a deep breath and said, “At least that was better than what I said to your brother.” She paused to study Logan and then ventured, “So everything is okay?”

“Yeah. Took a leaf out of your book though it hurt like a bitch to get out,” Logan replied as he took a step into the room. He emphasized it by rubbing his abdomen tenderly. He took in her hands and noticed a couple of red staining the bandages. “Maybe you should fire the medic who did your hands.”

Sequoia looked at her hands and noticed the red. She replied, “Maybe… Logan maybe you should steer clear. I’m… not myself.”

“No shit Hawk,” Logan replied with a slight hint of sarcasm. He really thought that Hesh should be here for this but as it were his older brother was being subjected to the sadists they called medics. And that was because Hesh had to be the bigger bastard and old brother and insist that he go first. Then again what he had to say… maybe it was good that they were alone. He continued, “And it’s okay because you’re a person too.”

Sequoia looked at Logan and pushed off from the wall she was leaning against. She raised her brow, “And here I was thinking I was the meanest thing you encountered. I’m the mean Hawk.”

“Come on,” Logan retorted, “You know you’re not that even when you imply me and Hesh are being big babies.” He paused knowing that this wasn’t going to go the way he wanted unless he got in front of this. He sighed, “Hawk…” He ran a hand through his hair and thought about what to say. He murmured, “He said to tell her it would be okay.”

“What?”

Logan looked up and realized he might have said what he had wanted to say. He looked up to see Sequoia looking at him like he may have said something strange or offensive. He could play his way out of it but he doubts she would be in the mood for it. Instead he came out and said it, “Dad, told me to say to you that it would be okay.”

Sequoia looked at Logan. He seemed distant as he said that. She remembered that he had been up close and personal with what happened to Elias. She took a couple of steps forward and peered at Logan. She asked, “What did he say to you?”

“I told you. He said for me…”

“No, no, no,” Sequoia interrupted shaking her head. She repeated, “What did he say to you?”

Logan realized what she was asking and almost wanted to shout at her. Here she was shutting her feelings away to help him and he was trying to help her. He replied, “Hawk, this isn’t about me.”

“Humor me please.”

Logan sighed. She was not going to say anything more. It made him wish that he could be here to watch Hesh give it a try. Then at least he could get a laugh at his brother’s expense. Sighing again he said, “Dad said he was proud of me and that it was going to be okay.” He paused and then continued, “He then said ‘Tell _her_ that it will be okay’. He was thinking about you too Hawk.”

Sequoia listened to Logan. Elias always said things would be okay and he said it right when things seemed like they were going to get worse before they would get better. It was like he knew and he more likely did from experience that after the worst thing, things did get better. She looked at Logan who was looking like he didn’t know what else to say about the whole thing. Hesitantly she put a hand on his shoulder and said, “He was right Logan. And… it’s not your fault.”

Logan would have said something but Sequoia left. He made to follow but it seemed like she disappeared once she hit the halls. He sighed as concerned rolled through his thoughts. It was like she hid herself from people and didn’t want them to see someone who may appear to be a hard ass but was in fact someone who cared about the people she worked with. He sure as hell knew that she cared for his brother and probably more than she thought appropriate or she was too shy to admit it and Hesh… he was bonehead at times.

Logan decided to go at least see if Hesh was done to go ‘Hawk hunting’. He didn’t have to go far since Hesh found him and asked, “Have you seen Hawk?”

If Logan was surprised by this, he didn’t show it. He could tell the truth but then again… He went for as close the truth as possible, “No. I was going to look for you to look for her. Why are you so proactive with talking to her all of a sudden?”

“Pro-what? Shut up,” Hesh replied more out of agitation that his stitches pulled. Plus he was concerned about Sequoia since she just seemed to shut down. He rubbed his chest and continued, “Did you see her?”

“I told you no. I was looking for you,” Logan repeated. He made it sound like Hesh was being dense if only to really see if his brother was actually taking the first step this time and not waiting to be kicked almost literally into doing it.

Hesh waved off Logan and looked around. He started walking to continue his search, “Never mind then. I’ll look myself. Get some sleep. You look like shit.”

“I could say the same about you,” Logan said as he watched his brother wince along. He couldn’t help but give a slight smile. He saw what he did on the chopper there so he wasn’t complaining. It looked natural the moment Hesh put his arm around her and held her. He gave a slow smile and hummed before heading to the room he and Hesh would be sharing. It was late and he needed some shut eye… if he could get some.

Hesh continued his search since she wasn’t anywhere near where they were to stay on the carrier. He passed by where Merrick was at and noticed that he was staring at… was that a tomahawk in the wall? He frowned and looked at Keegan who merely said, “Hawk.” Keegan then turned to see Merrick try to get it out but it was stuck in there.

Hesh grew concerned. He knew she wouldn’t do anything to Keegan or Merrick but the weapon in the wall said a lot. He continued to look around the ship well aware that it was like looking for a needle in a haystack even though there were only so many places she could be. He had checked where Riley was at and she wasn’t there but he was ready to move and now followed him around. So… then it occurred to him where she might be.

He found her on the port side and sitting with her legs dangling over the edge. A part of him thought it risky while another said ‘That’s Hawk. It’s her’ and it was the latter that he found more appealing and worked with. Riley was excited to see her and let his presence be known with a bark and trying to run towards her. Hesh followed behind and was well aware that it looked ridiculous with the dog trying to run and he was walking like an old man would.

“You should be getting some sleep. It was a long day.”

Hesh took a seat beside her on her left while Riley laid down on her right. He replied, “I agree but I think that would apply to everyone… including you Hawk.”

Sequoia turned her head to look at Hesh. He was right since she had spent most of her anger and was exhausted. Still she tried to be like how she was in the trenches, “I’m fine.”

Hesh sighed at that. He thought about what he wanted to say and then said, “I meant what I said when we were moving to exfil. I don’t want to lose you.”

Sequoia looked at Hesh. She wasn’t sure of what to say. She was expecting anger directed at her. The way she saw it she had some blame in this. True Rorke had it in for the Ghosts as a whole but he had a special interest in ‘little Charlie’ and it seemed to have altered circumstances in terms of how things were done. She was well aware of anger no matter how misplaced and was used to it being directed at her.

“I thought Rorke killed you and…” Hesh looked at the water. It was like when he and Logan used to watch the waves when they were out late in San Diego. He looked over to catch her eye. They shared a silent exchange. Tentatively he reached over and brushed a lock that had fallen out of her braid and put it behind her ear letting his finger brush her cheek gently. “I’m glad you’re still here.”

Sequoia closed her eyes slowly as she felt his fingertip on her cheek. It was soothing. She finally said, “I… I was foolish. I lost my head but…”

“It’s okay,” Hesh interrupted, knowing what she was going on about. His throat convulsed a bit as he swallowed wondering how this would play out. “I am actually glad you… did what you did. You did what I wanted to do. I couldn’t and…”

“Don’t,” Sequoia said in a firm voice. She looked at Hesh and repeated, “Don’t do that. It’s no one’s fault that he left us… left me and he promised.” She got up and started walking away. She crossed her arms over her chest to rub her arms.

Hesh was on his feet and following. It put a bit of strain on his chest. “Hawk,” he called out. He saw that it wasn’t going to make her stop. “Sequoia,” he tried.

Sequoia stopped when she heard her name. She turned to see that Hesh had followed and she felt bad she was causing him discomfort. “Hesh…” She stopped since she sensed that she was getting back to what she felt when she started reading the letter. She put her hand in her pocket and pulled it out crumpled in her hand. She was surprised when Hesh took her hand and removed the letter. “Can you just… get rid of it?”

“Why?”

“I don’t want it. Don’t want to read it,” she replied as she crossed her arms to rub her arms. “Nothing but broken promises… like before.”

Hesh was astute to realize that there was more to it than just what happened in Vegas. He held the letter and asked, “Is this about… your dad?”

Sequoia felt her lip twitch more in reaction. Her tongue clicked against her teeth as she sighed. “It was childish to… believe in it.” She took a breath before continuing, “He promised he would be there always. We didn’t have completely good times; I resented a few things he did because I didn’t understand them then… but he was always there for me. It was lonely growing up even though we were raised together.” She then sighed almost angrily, “Then _he_ said it would be okay and…” she made a rude sound.

Hesh just listened to her. To anyone else it sounded like she was ranting on something since she wasn’t clarifying what or who she was talking about but he wasn’t stupid. He put it together and just let her talk. She was always so stoic and it seemed like she felt the need to hide from everyone. The only time she was ever that free with thoughts and feelings was basically demanding it of her and she always was free when she was with Logan.

She was hurting and was dealing with it the only way she knew how from his view. He was surprised that she was feeling like he and Logan were about dad. He knew that she and his dad were close but he really didn’t have a clue. It made him feel inadequate at the moment. Finally he said, “It’s okay to be angry.” At the look she gave him he explained, “There are different ways of grieving. You have a right to feel.”

Sequoia looked rather past Hesh in thought. She realized she had been babbling and she had revealed about her childhood and to Hesh of all people. Not even Carol knew her feelings growing up and now she felt vulnerable. Hesh though was telling her it was okay to be angry. Was that all he pulled from that? She would be livid if it was pity. She voiced it, “I don’t want pity.”

Hesh blinked at that and managed to reply, “That’s the last thing you’d get from me, Sequoia.” He held the letter in his hand and continued, “You don’t have to be ashamed of showing your feelings. Just don’t stay angry… I don’t want to lose you.”

_Do not let your anger take over._

Sequoia blinked as she caught Hesh’s gaze. She was at a loss for words. She did long to say all she felt but… Growing up she had learned to hold back her feelings especially during training. She had her moments of weakness but it was eradicated with her jumping back in. This… “I don’t know how to show feelings like everyone else,” she finally admitted.

“Doesn’t have to be like everyone else,” Hesh offered knowing that was painfully inadequate. “It comes from being you.” He made a slight face at that since he was certain that was a screw up. He sighed mostly in frustration but then got an idea. He looked up and asked, “You wanna come to mine and Logan’s room and talk? Just the three of us?”

If it seemed like a strange request to Sequoia she didn’t show it but gave a nod. Then again the past couple of weeks had been strange enough from her end. She figured it was Hesh’s way of going back inside without admitting that he was in a little bit of pain. As it turned out Logan was on the top bunk and staring at the ceiling when they arrived. He raised his brow and seemed to perk up the moment he saw them.

It was awkward for maybe about ten minutes since they sat in silence. Hesh was sitting at the desk while Logan was lounging on his bed and Sequoia looked like a stiff poker sitting on the edge of the bottom bunk. It was Logan that broke the awkwardness after getting a stomach full of silent laughter at his brother and Sequoia. He asked Sequoia, “So did you have any fun with target practice, Hawk? I passed by Merrick and Keegan.”

“I was angry,” Sequoia replied after a moment of silence. Finally taking a breath she added, “Losing Matoskah was like when my father died. Two good people that left.” She looked at her hands wishing to pick the bandages off since they itched like crazy. Plus she really hadn’t given proper grieving even if she had shown it by injuring herself. She didn’t mention it since she wasn’t sure that Logan or Hesh would understand that part of Lakota grief practices included inflicting self-pain.

“Matoskah?” Hesh tried to pronounce the name and the syllables sounded strange on his tongue.

“It means white bear. My father used to call yours that. For whatever reason I don’t know. Maybe he thought your father was like a bear and the white was because he was white.” Sequoia shrugged her shoulders. She rubbed her hands slightly. “Or it was one friend honoring another.”

Hesh nodded at that. At least she was talking now. He glanced at Logan who was leaning over the edge to give his full attention and then back at Sequoia. He then asked, “What do your people do when someone dies?”

It was a loaded question. Sequoia knew they would think it barbaric with self-infliction but they might understand to some degree. Then there was… Finally she said, “Lakota don’t fear dying but we fear the dead haunting us. As warriors we greet death as an equalizer; we all go in the end and we believe that the other side is free from the pain of this world. In grief there are things we do like you would do and…” She became a little shy but then decided against it.

Bobbing her head slightly as she focused on the tune, she took a breath while trying to catch the rhythm and she started humming. The humming turned to words that neither Hesh nor Logan would understand but they got the gist of it. Hesh recognized it though when he interrupted her previously. It was different or rather it sounded different and he figured it was because it was Dad. He hid the twitch of a smile that appeared when she drew up her legs and sat cross legged on her bed and finished.

Sequoia sang until she was finished and gave a yawn. Logan was quiet but he was staring at the ceiling and Hesh was watching her. She fought sleep but in the end fell asleep, worn out from everything, sitting up. Hesh changed her position so she was lying down and let her sleep. He didn’t mind but he was restless and the best way was to write. He pulled out his journal and started writing while his thoughts were on his dad.


	24. Chapter 24

The warmth was welcome and Sequoia shifted to bury herself in it. It was soothing and it felt right. She was going to have to thank Hesh for letting her sleep with Riley. She adjusted her arm around Riley’s neck only it wasn’t his neck. She frowned but didn’t open her eyes just yet. She focused and while her eyes were closed let her sense of touch tell her what she had her arm wrapped around.

The obvious was the absence of fur. Her hand was touching fabric and it felt like the standard t-shirts they wore. She moved her fingers to get a good feel and she felt her hand gently grasped and fingers stroked hers and she became aware of the arm wrapped around her. She held still and settled down succumbing slightly to the warmth that made her want to go back to sleep. The hand holding hers covered it and the fingers twitched to stroke her hand and she felt soothed.

Sequoia knew though she had to find out where she was at even though her senses told her who she was snuggling next to. She opened her eyes slowly and found her gaze looking in the direction of the door to the room meaning that her back was to the wall. She could hear the soft breaths of the man whose chest she was resting her head on and she was becoming aware that she was in a position that could be considered more than what it was.

Her eyes were wide open and roving around. She was painfully aware that if she attempted to leave, she would wake up the sleeping man and she didn’t want to do that. He needed the sleep after everything. The way she saw it, there was no way to leave discretely without waking him. And yet she didn’t want to leave. The warmth was beckoning and she was weakening in her resolve to leave. She silently sighed and moved slightly.

The movement caused the arm to adjust tighter around her but in a good way. The breathing didn’t change and Sequoia blinked slowly still not wanting to get up. She sighed and just looked around at what she could see and just remained quiet, listening to the easy breaths of people sleeping. She was actually content even though she was certain that this was not the best position to be in. She really should be leaving. She shifted slightly.

The sleeping man moved again to adjust to her position. She paused like she would if she was hunting but immediately forced her muscles to relax. They relaxed as if it were natural as the arm around her adjusted. She felt safe… like she didn’t have to worry even though it was wreaking havoc with her sensibilities. Subconsciously her fingers moved in a soothing gesture on probably the abdomen.

A noise caught her attention and she froze. Her eyes widened a bit and she stopped what she was doing while she let her ears do her seeing. It was the top bunk that was creaking. She held still and a pair of legs appeared from the top bunk and she watched Logan jump down. He landed quietly and winced slightly and clutched his abdomen. She gave a slight eye roll at his being stupid but she couldn’t help but smile.

She closed her eyes when she noticed him start to turn and look at the bottom bunk. She lay perfectly still. She was certain she heard chuckling and wondered if she had been too perfect in lying still. She didn’t move though, but listened. She heard Logan chuckle some more and then the sound of a door opening and closing quietly. It was then that she opened her eyes and slowly.

“You shouldn’t lie so still if you’re trying to look like you’re asleep.”

Sequoia made a slight face at that. She wasn’t sure what to do but managed to reply, “I can’t help it if every little noise has me jump.”

“Then please do it when I’m not asleep. Less painful more likely.”

Sequoia looked up sharply, lifting her head from Hesh’s chest and looked at him. She found him with his eyes closed. No signs of being in pain were etched on his face. In fact he seemed to be rested and peaceful. Still she had to ask, “Your chest?”

Hesh opened his eyes to see Sequoia looking at him with a serious expression. He sighed, “I’m fine. It was a joke.”

“Not from where I’m standing.”

“More like laying.”

Sequoia blinked at that. She usually was the one that teased but only in combat situations and mostly… This was different and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. She started to move to get up, not sure what to say or even do. Running seemed a logical choice.

Hesh caught the look of panic that flashed across her features. He didn’t get where that came from but he aimed to find out. He adjusted his arm to keep her from moving and said, “Hawk, it’s okay. I was just teasing.” At the look he was getting he added, “I’m fine. You didn’t hurt me if that is what you are worried about.”

Sequoia paused when she felt Hesh’s arm tighten a little around her waist. She could easily fight him off and get away. She knew it and he knew it. She was not sure about the whole thing and for the first time in a long time she didn’t know what to do. She knew Hesh would never hurt her. Call it a gut instinct or the fact that all he ever did since they met was to make sure she was safe… she knew he wouldn’t hurt her but suddenly she was nervous just being there alone with him in the bunk and in his room. She started to panic at the thought of someone catching her coming out and looking like she had a rough night.

Hesh just watched her. He saw the look of panic come across her face again and the indecision. Now that she was fully awake she was starting to realize the position she was in. It probably didn’t help that he was not letting her go. Finally he said, “It’s okay Sequoia. Please stay.”

Sequoia’s eyes had been darting around like she was calculating her escape. Then she heard Hesh use her name. Her gaze was directed back to his. “I don’t think…”

“Please,” Hesh repeated in a softer tone. “Stay.”

It seemed like an eternity as Hesh patiently waited for her to consider. It occurred to him that she was new to this. Even when they first kissed she seemed unsure about a few things. He and Logan used to laugh at that when they were younger since they always seemed to hit it off with the girls they knew. He was painfully aware that he would have called someone who was shy, if that was the right word for Sequoia, living in a vacuum or something stupid like that. With Sequoia… he would have punched himself if he made fun of her; beaten himself black and blue if he hurt her.

Sequoia paused to consider and was well aware that her indecision was making it apparent that she had never been in a relationship much less a situation like this. She was starting to feel flustered since she didn’t like feeling vulnerable and her usual solutions to do away with it weren’t going to work. It felt like her ears were burning with embarrassment and she wondered why Hesh didn’t just throw her out. A look at his face told her that wasn’t what he had in mind. He was watching her and waiting for her to make a decision and it was clear he would respect it no matter what it was.

It was nothing like when she was first learning to stalk and hunt prey when she was caught like a deer in headlights. There was the natural reaction of running and the risk of being labeled a prude by everyone. Normally she wouldn’t have cared and she would have been labeled a bitch; just another thing about the notorious Echo Three. Now though… she didn’t want to run away; she wanted to stay but her sensibilities were saying something else. It felt disgraceful especially since she was considered a warrior. Warriors didn’t run away but this wasn’t a battle. This was Hesh and she didn’t want to go and if he wanted her to stay…

Secure in her decision she slowly lowered herself back to the position she had been in when she woke up. It was comfortable, safe and warm. It didn’t even bother her when Hesh adjusted his arm around her; she just pressed more into his body, feeling the warmth envelope her. “Are you sure you want me to stay?”

“If you want to,” Hesh replied to reassure her. He wanted her to but only if she was comfortable with it. She seemed to have made up her mind when she settled down but she just needed the reassurance. He finally added, “And I do.”

Sequoia let out the breath she had been holding as she adjusted her head on his chest. Even though she was on his right side, her sensitive ear could pick up his heartbeat. It was steady and strong. There was life. Without realizing she was doing it, the arm she had propped across his abdomen had moved and her fingers were tapping the rhythm of his heartbeat until she felt him chuckle a little. She looked up and asked, “What?”

“Tickles,” Hesh replied. He had been enjoying her company when he started feeling the taps that started tickling and he tried to hold it in. He knew she wasn’t teasing him or doing anything like that. It was why he tried to hold it in.

Sequoia frowned until she noticed her fingers going to town with the rhythm they had picked up. She felt her skin flush and she said, “I’m sorry.” She forced them to stop.

“It’s okay,” Hesh replied since he noticed the flush. He thought it looked cute when she did that but if he said that, she might take it the wrong way. He explained, “It’s a dirty secret sort of. Logan knows I’m ticklish and will try it just to be a pain in the ass.”

“I am sorry.”

“And it’s okay. You didn’t know and… it felt nice. What were you doing?”

Sequoia had settled back down but she was still looking at Hesh. She felt silly for saying it but being honest was all she knew. Being coy and all the games girls did to flirt, it was not in her nature or vocabulary. She answered, “I was… beating out your heartbeat. I was listening to it and it’s a strong one and my fingers just… I do that sometimes when I hear the pounding of drums. It always let me know that a warrior is strong and…” She cut herself off not sure if she should say more. She had been ridiculed before. Finally she said in a fit of defiance, “I like drums.”

It sounded funny but Hesh didn’t take it as such. He was just curious. He replied carefully, “I like ‘em too.”

Sequoia realized he wasn’t going to make fun of her. She had never had qualms before because most people didn’t understand what she had been taught since birth and things that were normally taught to boys. She then said, “Yours is a good one.”

It wasn’t meant for flattery and Hesh knew that. While it would have been a boost to his ego had it been any other girl, he found it more as a means of connecting with Sequoia. He wanted to know more about her and talking about her people was part of that. He asked, “Can you explain?”

Sequoia looked at Hesh to gauge his seriousness. While she knew he wouldn’t make fun of her, she was careful about certain things. She could see he was interested in knowing. She wasn’t sure how to explain it and thought about it for a moment before saying, “It was something my father told me and… it stuck.”

“Tell me, please.”

Sequoia rested her head where it had been on Hesh’s chest. She listened to his heartbeat. It hadn’t changed at all. Strong, steady and firm. She then said, “For Lakota, my people, the drum is powerful in our songs and coupled with the fact that the eagle is our most sacred of animals… My father used to say that a strong heart like the drums means that its owner is a brave warrior like our kin the eagle.”

“And what do you think?”

Sequoia paused slightly. Her fingers had begun tapping the rhythm again only this time Hesh wasn’t squirming. It had her wondering if he had made it up about being ticklish. She became aware that his was moving his own fingers in rhythm with her tapping but he was stroking her forearm. If it had been anyone else she would have grabbed the offending hand and broke it. It was Hesh though and everything he did, she found to her liking. Even when he stuck his foot in his mouth she found it endearing. Seeing that he was waiting for an answer, she replied with honesty, “Your heart is good and strong. If you were Lakota, you would be given an eagle feather.” She then added, “Though right now it sounds like the rumbling of buffalo.”

Hesh couldn’t help but chuckle and she did with him. She may have teased him about the buffalo thing but the other part… She meant it. Like Logan said before, she didn’t play games but was serious. He said, “I suppose it would.” He was silent as he looked up at the bottom of Logan’s bunk and then offered, “I’m glad you’re here, Hawk. I really am.”

Sequoia smiled as she closed her eyes, listening to Hesh’s breathing and heartbeat. In spite of the sadness of death and war, she was happy. He made her feel happy. It was foreign and a bit scary since she was bound by customs of her people but… “I am glad that you’re here.”

Hesh felt his lip twitch in a smile as he held her while she went back to sleep. He eventually fell back to sleep. No one bothered them since technically he and Logan had been injured and needed a little recovery time. He only opened his eyes when Logan came back later that morning and he flipped his little brother off when he teased him.

****

_Hawk,_

_If you are reading this… then I am no longer with you or the boys. Through battle or the one ghost that has haunted us… I know this will do nothing more than make you angry. I made a promise to you and I didn’t keep it._

_There are a lot of things that I have wanted to tell you the past five years since I requested you transfer under my command. As your commander I saw you as a soldier that is damned good at their job. You are like your father in many ways but you are most like your mother and she was a force to be reckoned with. You fight for what you believe and you give it your all. As your godfather… You are like a daughter to me and always will be._

_It was tempting to hold you back especially after your first encounter with Rorke. Your questions started placing doubts in my wisdom of keeping you on missions. Then Rorke’s escape and the slander of Charles… I knew it would be only a matter of time before he would figure it out who you were. I wasn’t lying when I told you that he admired your father but more of his methods and the stories that circulated. I knew Charles would teach you everything he knew and…_

_I couldn’t do that to you and I hope you will forgive an old man for almost clipping your wings. You are family to me. Your father was more than a good friend. It would have pained me if harm ever came to you and I was the one that sent you to it. You will always be the little girl that stood up to her tormentor and kicked him in the shins._

_Before he died… your father did speak to me. What I told you of the dream… it was all true but he also wanted me to give you something. He gave me his tomahawk and asked that when the time was right that I should give it to you. He said that you were ready and worthy of flying with your kin the eagle. He was proud of you Hawk. Always was. He also said that he wanted to be with you as he promised._

_I should have given it to you sooner but it never felt right. I also didn’t want to stir up your pain. I know you better than that but I owe you much. I gave Merrick instructions that he was to give it to you should anything happen to me. Please don’t let grief make you angry. Do not become what you are not. You are White Hawk, the daughter of Thundering Bear and Napayshni and a proud and strong warrior of the Lakota Sioux._

_Everything will be okay Hawk. I know I said I would be around for a long time but… think of my sons. You have become friends. You see people. Through them… I’ll be with you. Everything you have done as a Ghost… Just think about it. It will be okay. Do not be afraid to be who you are._

_With Affection,_

_Elias aka Matoskah_

Sequoia finished reading the letter and leaned against the wall as she waited for Hesh to come out of the infirmary to have a few popped stitches checked. Being the stubborn ass he was, he tried to lift some heavy equipment to help her out even though she protested and ended up popping a few stitches and right in front of Merrick.

The inevitable was reached and Merrick ordered her to escort Hesh to the infirmary by any means necessary. It was meant as a joke but she took it seriously. She threatened to throw Hesh over her shoulder and haul him down there if he didn’t comply when he said he could make it on his own. Hesh looked at her to determine if she was serious and found that she was serious but also playful. It was a dangerous combination and one he knew he wasn’t equipped to handle.

Hesh complied and she escorted him to the infirmary. He had taken the opportunity to grasp her hand as they walked down to have his stitches taken a look at. Actually it was more like playing footsy with her hand and fingers but she didn’t mind it at all. She liked his touch and she responded in kind while being serious.

Once there she told him to go in and she would wait out there giving a smile of reassurance. So he went in and she waited. While waiting she pulled out the letter that Hesh left on the desk in the room. She found it after waking up alone but tucked in. She got up and stretched slightly and a little worried that she had slept so long. It was unusual for her but it was the first in a long time that she had been able to get sleep.

She was surprised that Hesh didn’t destroy it like she asked. She had only read the first line and had become angry. She never really gave it a chance and she wondered if she really wanted to destroy what possibly were the last words of Elias Walker. She ended up pocketing it by the time Hesh came in with a cup of coffee and now that she was waiting decided to read it.

She decided that it was right that Hesh didn’t destroy it like she requested. She had been angry, angry that those that mattered had left her. True she did have family left, Skye was one, and it was the Lakota way for the extended family to look after those that had been left behind. Under that obligation they would have taken her in but even she knew that she was in a realm that was neither of honor or disgrace. It was a sort of limbo. So she had been angry at being left alone and when Elias had died, it was a rekindling of that. That and she wanted revenge against Rorke.

She looked at the letter with a passive face and tried to hear Elias saying those words. It was difficult since from her conversations with him the last five years… It was always a captain and his officer when they talked and even then they stretched the boundaries a little. She had never really met the man except maybe once as a child and then later as an adult but… she did feel like he was family and by the close friendship with her father and the fact that her father gave him a Sioux name…

_Death is not the end my dear daughter. It is a part of life, an equalizer and a journey we all must take some day. Do not fear it. Acknowledge it._

_But… what happens when someone dies?_

_All life goes to the other side. They are free from the sufferings of this world. It is a reward for their living._

_But I don’t want you or Mother to leave me._

_We will never leave you my little treasure. We may have joined the Great Mystery in his realm but we will always be with you. It is because you will live…_

Sequoia sighed as she remembered more of what her father had taught her. She remembered the stories he used to tell her to teach her the lessons he needed her to learn. She remembered her childhood playmates that learned the same lessons. Some had gone and they died young while others lived and they grew up. She thought about what Elias reminded her.

She looked at the letter again. She noticed that Elias had written one more thing. She read it and she felt her lip twitch in a smile. She nodded and put the letter back in her pocket. It was a good thing too since Hesh had come out looking like he had tried to fight the medics. She looked at him and thought about a few things. She smiled and teased, “Did you give them a hard time again?”

Hesh scowled but it was halfhearted. “You should know. You’re exactly the same.”

“But I’m not the one who popped his stitches,” she replied with a grin.

“It’s what I get for helping,” Hesh retorted gently as he looked at his hand. The glass wound had healed over and he could barely make out the scar. He looked back up at her and added, “You could have just accepted gracefully.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Sequoia smiled as she started walking back to where she had been working before all this started. “Besides you were told to take it easy a couple of days. Not my fault you disobeyed an order.”

“And you haven’t?”

Sequoia merely smiled at Hesh and walked on ahead. She was surprised he had managed to keep up but then again she shouldn’t have. He was strong and she was right in assessing that he would be considered a warrior. Logan would be too.

“You haven’t answered my question.”

Sequoia glanced over at Hesh and noticed that he was going to be persistent. She paused and raised her brow. She asked, “Do you really want to know the answer to that one?” She looked at him to indicate she was being serious even though she was teasing.

Hesh raised a brow back. “Maybe,” he replied.

“Then I guess we’ll never know,” Sequoia replied with a slight grin. She started walking again and called back, “I have toed the line and stood on it since I’ve been here.”

Hesh felt his lip twitch into a slight smile. He knew he wasn’t going to get a full response. He didn’t know why he bothered but in all honesty, he liked her way of saying but not telling. It was a punishment yes but… He kept up with her and they were joined by Logan who said, “Heard that you pulled a few bro. Sorry you had to deal with it Hawk.”

“No worries,” she replied.

“Uh huh,” Logan replied with a look of disbelief even though he was amused and could tell she was. “I didn’t hear any bawling so I guess we’re good.”

“Shut up,” Hesh said and gave a punch to Logan’s shoulder. He grumbled as both his brother and Sequoia laughed at him.


	25. Chapter 25

_The rain was pouring as she ran through the jungle. She had to get to the beach. She wasn’t sure why except that she had to. It was a fierce sense of urgency and if she didn’t, it might be too late. She had to get there._

_She came to the beach and saw the clear ocean. Stars were falling into the water even though it was daylight. It looked like something out of a dream. She wasn’t paying attention to that though. Her focus was on the beach and what she saw._

_The white sand was painted red. There were two bodies lying very still but they were alive. That much she could see and then she saw him. It was Rorke, smiling and taunting her. He was telling her to come and get him. She obeyed and ran towards him._

_She tackled the man and they both fell into a pit. The rain was pouring and she could see the wet earth and the water running off the plants. There was mud on her face and it was smeared like paint. Rorke was standing across from her. His face was painted like hers but he looked more menacing about it._

_He pulled a gun out and aimed it at her. She stood there. She wasn’t afraid to die. Lakota were not afraid of death. They knew it was a part of life. They greeted it when they went on the warpath or the hunt. She stood there looking defiantly at Rorke, waiting for death._

_Rorke though grinned at her and said, “You wanna know why I’m better than you little Charlie?”_

_He moved the gun and pointed it at a body that was tied up. The head was covered in a head bag. Rorke pulled the trigger and the shot rang out. It hit the body in the abdomen and she heard the grunt. The head bag was removed and she could see Hesh in pain. Logan was tied and forced to watch. He was begging her not to let Rorke hurt Hesh._

_She moved to get to Hesh but felt something burn in her side after a bang. She fell and saw a shadow with a smoking barrel. Rorke was grinning as he walked over to where Hesh was tied up. The shadow was still there with the smoking barrel. He said, “Little Charlie let this be your most difficult lesson and one Charlie didn’t get. You can’t save everyone.”_

_The shadow wasn’t moving but she heard words, “Pain is in the mind. Reach past it. Become what…”_

_“Oh little Charlie,” Rorke taunted._

_She turned her head and saw Rorke. He had the gun pressed against Hesh’s temple. Hesh was looking at her with an apologetic look. He wasn’t angry with her but… Then the trigger was pulled and the bang along with screaming…_

Sequoia’s eyes shot open and she sat up in a fluid motion. She was in their room on the carrier. It had been three days since Elias died. It had been a time for healing both in the physical and emotional capacity. She looked at her hands no longer covered with strapping since regular gauze seemed to find a way to be shredded or she simply took it off when they annoyed her which was often. Looking at her hands helped calm her a little so she put them in her lap and just breathed.

A hand touched her back and she could feel the gentle strokes through her t-shirt. It was followed by the sleepy query, “Hawk?”

Sequoia sighed. She hadn’t wanted to wake him up. It had been hard since he had nightmares about his father and brother dying and he was unable to stop it. His brother had nightmares of witnessing Elias’ death and that he had shot him. She forced herself to push her own feelings aside to help them. She looked at the owner of the hand who was looking at her with a frown even though his expression was sleepy and replied, “I’m okay Shappa. Go back to sleep.”

Hesh continued to frown at Sequoia as he looked up at her while he stroked her back like one did a child when they were sick. Any vestiges of sleep were starting to make the idea of sleep a mere afterthought. Something was up and he could tell she was going to be a stubborn ass about it. He slowly sat up to look at her. He figured it was bad when she leaned against him so he wrapped his arm around her and held her close.

Technically they were sleeping together and had been since the night before. That first night they were willing to admit that it was nothing more than falling asleep and being practical. As much as they both enjoyed it, it was Sequoia that was hesitant to go further and not because she didn’t like him, but because of her values and sensibilities. It took a bit to pull it out of her and Hesh got the sense that she was nervous about how he would receive that since it was obvious she was familiar with male libido and alluded that she had received wolf whistles before. _That_ set his teeth on edge and it occurred long before he met her. It only proved that he was whipped as Logan would put it and that he really had feelings for her.

They started sleeping together because of Logan. The night his brother had a nightmare and ended up waking Hesh with his thrashing about, it was coincidental and later Hesh put it together that Logan may have overemphasized what he was feeling. True Logan woke up freaked out about replaying Rorke killing their dad and Hesh did his best to calm him down. He didn’t think twice when Logan asked for Sequoia; he just went and nearly got a punch in the face when he woke her up and asked her to talk to Logan.

The little pain in the ass had calmed down when he brought her back. Immediately she began murmuring soothingly in Sioux. Hesh had no clue what she was saying and neither did Logan but she soothed him back to sleep. She was going back when Hesh asked her to stay and offered his bunk even though she pointed out that he was the one that needed sleep. She gave him a kiss good night on the cheek and left their room.

Hesh was never able to explain it but that night he was having a rough time. His stitches were pulling and itchy and he was awake to see if Logan needed him. Suddenly she was there like she knew. That time she stayed and soothed him to sleep. She stayed and woke up with him in his bunk with a pensive smile and teasing him that there were worse ways to gain access to her company. He then tentatively asked if she didn’t mind staying and he was quick to reassure her that it was just sleeping and nothing else. It was important at least to him that she didn’t feel ashamed for it.

It surprised him when she agreed and that was after a period of thought. He saw she was weighing her options as she always did when considering something. It felt like an agreement but it worked out. She actually snuck into their room when it was lights out and crawled in to her place between Hesh and the wall. He would have moved but she was quick and silent even in her sleepwear and he could just imagine what she was like when actually on the hunt in terms of training. She would kick his and Logan’s ass together.

Logan was chuckling and Hesh ended up punching the bottom of his bed for that. They both settled down when Sequoia barked for them in a soft but firm tone to settle down. And she said it in Sioux. They were quick to obey though Hesh was certain to hear it in the morning from Logan that he was whipped. He didn’t care then when she settled by his side and certainly didn’t care now though his concern was over the fact that she was awake and something was bothering her. He started stroking her hair with his other hand and noted how smooth it was even though it looked frazzled. He asked softly, “What is it?”

Sequoia knew that she wasn’t going to get out of not answering. Part of her wanted to say something and another didn’t and she was scared. She was scared because she loved Hesh and had a strong affection for Logan and Rorke was a looming shadow now. She hadn’t had any concerns about it until after Elias died since… She was quiet as she thought about it and leaned against Hesh to draw comfort and some sort of answer. She felt the soothing gesture of Hesh stroking her hair while he waited. Finally she said, “A bad dream.”

It sounded like a child’s answer but Hesh understood there was more to it. He didn’t want to pry because he knew how proud she was but if he could alleviate the tinniest worry, he would jump on it; she would do the same for any of the others in a heartbeat. He asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“You need sleep Shappa. Otherwise…”

Hesh knew the implication. He also recognized it as a diversion tactic. “Talk to me. Please, Sequoia.”

Sequoia knew that he was concerned. He only used her name when he was attempting affection or a situation like this. Most of the time it was ‘Hawk’ but with a special warmth in his tone. It was her problem and she didn’t want him to worry. What could she say? That it was dream she had previously but now different and playing on her worst fears? She had to think about and the obvious solution was to hunt down Rorke but… like other things she had to look at what her dreams said. It was shrink work but she had been taught that even dreams held knowledge.

It felt bad that she wasn’t going to tell the whole truth but she needed time to think. She was quiet as she thought about what to say and allowed herself to be pulled back down on the bed. She rested her head on Hesh’s chest and wrapped her arm around his abdomen and breathed a comfortable sigh. Finally she said, “It was about Rorke and… what happened in Vegas. When he taunted me… implied his threats… everything. Mostly what he wanted.”

Hesh had been staring up at Logan’s bunk listening while stroking her hair. The gesture seemed to calm her and she was already comfortable in what was her favorite position and one he was most comfortable with too. He hated that she was tormented by Rorke and he knew partially why. He had been looking up her father since he was technically on restricted duty to heal up a bit along with Logan. He only knew what was perceived as a legend in terms of small talk between soldiers and the stories that went long in memories. There were some things that he couldn’t get past though since there was the clearance issue and it seemed that Charles Williams was good at keeping his family out of military business since Sequoia only knew what she knew.

He wasn’t wrong in that she was special and it wasn’t because she was good at interrogation. He took time to look her up and apart from her ability to ‘hunt’ her targets she was skilled at interrogation and withstanding it. The latter had him surprised, but then again he shouldn’t have been. The thing with Ramos should have been a clue but it didn’t register. If Charles had been the same or more than that when he was active and alive… Hesh didn’t doubt he would have taught his daughter. It was no wonder Rorke wanted her.

He hadn’t forgotten about what the Fed said about her either. While they wanted Logan, and that was another story altogether, they had specific orders to make sure she wasn’t harmed. It had him wonder why and the more perverted reasons came to mind. That was enough to boil his blood.

“Do you ever feel that things happen because the world is trying to tell you something important?”

Hesh was drawn from his thoughts and he looked down to see Sequoia looking at him with her bright brown eyes. She had a tired expression and it looked like she was going to sleep. She was expecting an answer and he thought about it for a moment and replied, “I don’t know… maybe. I know it was telling me I am stupid when it comes to talking to you. I get on your bad side to stick my foot in my mouth.”

Sequoia felt her lip twitch in a smile as she looked at Hesh. “Not stupid. Just… behind.”

“Now I feel stupid,” Hesh teased.

“It is endearing,” Sequoia offered with a smile and a slight shrug of her shoulders. She leaned forward and gave Hesh a kiss on his cheek. “It’s why I like you.”

“Now you tell me,” Hesh replied with a grin. With his free hand he caressed her cheek gently letting his thumb rub and feel the softness of her skin. He knew that this wasn’t completely finished since he did have an answer for her. He added softly, “I honestly don’t know except what people leave behind. We only choose what to read into and what not to.”

Sequoia looked at Hesh and placed her hand over the one caressing her cheek to hold it there and gave a smile. “I suppose.”

“Why do you ask?”

“Just because…” Sequoia shrugged her shoulders and blinked. She could tell that he wasn’t convinced. She continued, “Just the things that Rorke and I… discussed.” She couldn’t tell him that she had felt like she was back in her training in interrogation. She couldn’t tell him the things that he wanted her to do and how she felt powerless sitting in there even though she was in survival mode. “Some things are meant to scare and other things are meant to leave you wondering; the best kind since you don’t know up from down,” she said softly as she glanced off into the darkness as she laid back down and rested her head on Hesh’s chest. She frowned as she realized she had repeated something her father once said.

Hesh didn’t press since he felt the change in her body. She was drowsy again and he continued to stroke her hair. He did think about what she said and suspected that there was more to what her nightmare was about than she was letting on. He wasn’t going to pry though since he didn’t want to get into a fight with her. He didn’t like that she felt that she had to suffer alone but then again he and Logan were the same way.

He kept up what he was doing until he was sure she was asleep. He felt her wrap her arm around his abdomen and he couldn’t help but smile at that. He pressed a kiss to her head and looked up. He heard rustling in the bunk above and frowned slightly. He reached up with his leg and gave a kick right where he knew where Logan would feel it.

The response was Logan swinging his pillow underneath. Hesh was ready for it and grabbed it. It was a wonder Sequoia hadn’t woken up from that; she must have been exhausted from the whole thing. Hesh glanced at her and then at Logan who stuck his head down when he couldn’t get his pillow back. He locked his gaze onto his brother and signaled they needed to talk.

 _Now?_ Logan mouthed the question. He had been woken up when he heard Hesh and Sequoia. It was a murmur and he was going back to sleep when he felt Hesh’s kick right on his rear. His brother put the meaning into putting a boot up the ass with his kicks. He used to do it all the time when they were kids and had a bunk bed. It was also how they would let each other know when it was something important that needed to be talked about.

Hesh shook his head in the negative. He then gave the sign that he and Logan developed when they were kids to indicate later. He waited until Logan gave his nod in the affirmative and gave a nod back. He narrowed his eyes when Logan whispered, “You really know how to put a boot up my ass and it’s a wonder I’m not a prick.”

“Shut up.”

“Night, big brother.” Logan grinned as he flopped back on his bed. He felt Hesh’s kick on this legs this time. He knew that Hesh deliberately missed as a warning.

“Pain in my ass.”

****

“Somehow I get the suspicion that you are following me.” Sequoia smiled in a teasing manner when she turned to look directly at Keegan even though there was nothing there. “I know you’re there, Ohanzee.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Keegan stepped out of the shadows where he had been following Sequoia while she went about doing whatever to keep her busy. She was also on restricted duty and there was nothing for her to do so she gave herself something to do when she saw it.

Sequoia raised her brow at the man. He was obviously frustrated that he had been found out. She gave a grin and replied, “Just something I came up with.” She said it in a tone that begged to inquire more.

Keegan sighed and shook his head. “You just want me to ask don’t you Hawk?”

“You wanted to know, Ohanzee,” Sequoia replied with a shrug. “You just have to ask.”

“Now you’re being a pain in the ass.”

“No I’m not.” Sequoia took a few steps closer until she was almost toe to toe with Keegan. She looked him in the eye and asked, “Is there a reason why you are tailing me and have been tailing me since the night after we arrived?”

Keegan knew he was about to be busted but he didn’t want to give up just yet. He was more curious how she knew that she was being followed since he had been careful to just follow her around. He was a damn sniper after all. He replied, “What do you mean by that? What makes you think that I am following you?”

Sequoia narrowed her eyes at Keegan. The man was older and a superior but she didn’t tolerate being made a fool of. She liked him but she didn’t like the bullshit. She said, “I am not stupid Keegan. I am a hunter/warrior by the nature of my people. I was taught those things.”

“I was taught something similar.”

“Pff,” Sequoia retorted with a noise. “It is commendable as a sniper but not like our ways.”

Keegan was well aware that he riled her temper. She was looking at him with a narrowed look. He was impressed with her ability to maintain her temper. He realized though that she was like a fuse that didn’t give any indication it was lit until it was too late. He pitied the one who got to witness that though he wouldn’t mind if it was Rorke but… He knew he was going to have to smolder the fuse before there was something to worry about. He raised his hands in a placating gesture, “Maybe you’re right on that account.”

Sequoia calmed down when she saw the placating gesture. She looked at Keegan and asked, “Then why are you following me around?”

“Because of what happened to you Hawk,” Keegan replied with a blunt answer. “You never spoke of what happened when you were with Rorke and the moment you saw your letter you just seemed to have lost it.”

“Can a person be angry when a person they care about leaves them?” Sequoia had asked it like someone asking a question in a class. She had put her hands behind her and clasped them together. She looked at Keegan and added, “There are many ways of expressing grief. I believe there is something about stages of grief and anger being one of them.”

“You certainly have a way of showing it,” Keegan replied as he shuffled uneasily. It was getting uncomfortable just standing there. “Can we walk and discuss this?”

“Of course.”

Keegan led the way and they made it out on the deck. There they could talk without the fear of being overheard. Keegan cleared his throat and said, “I’m sorry Hawk but Merrick and I were concerned… Mostly me.”

“I am fine. I am serious Keegan.”

“I believe you but… after what you did that night, I was more concerned about you hurting yourself.”

Sequoia pursed her lips at that. She wondered if Keegan would understand certain things about her people. Then again how was a person to understand if they didn’t learn what it was? If it was an unexplained action then it would be perceived as strange and unusual. She finally said, “You wouldn’t have needed to be concerned.”

“Why?”

“Because any self-harm would have been in sorrow,” she replied quietly. She turned to see the look Keegan was shooting her and explained, “A Sioux practice of mourning, particularly for women, is the infliction of pain.” She pressed her fingers together and turned them over so Keegan could see the forming scars on her fingers and hands. “Normally I would think it barbaric but…”

“That was a means of escape Hawk.”

“Still the same and you know I was a pain in the ass with the gauze,” Sequoia replied with a slight shrug. “I don’t go for it but I understand it. And you really don’t have anything to worry about Keegan. You and Merrick both.”

Keegan looked at her as she lowered her hands. She still rubbed them together, feeling the healing scars. He wasn’t completely sure but he did notice that she was thoughtful. He wondered what she was thinking of and she appeared to be somewhat happier. He had noticed how she and the Walker boys interacted.

Sequoia sighed as she looked at the landscape. She could hear the sea as the carrier chopped through the waves. It was almost like hearing the wind through the grasses back on the prairies. She thought that maybe she should go home when this was over and wander the land that she had been born on and lived on most of her life. It would restore much and perhaps it would restore much for Hesh and Logan. It was a thought. She said, “It will be okay.”

Keegan blinked and studied her. “You are sure?”

“Nothing in life is certain,” she said as she looked at Keegan. “We just do what we can. Make the choices we make and… go with it.” She noticed the look he was giving her and frowned, “You don’t think I’m nuts do you?”

“No but it seems that you learned quite a bit from…”

“My father taught me a lot about hunting but my mother was the one who more or less directed that,” Sequoia replied with a knowing grin. “Just don’t tell anyone. I don’t want to spoil their image of my father.”

“Nah, they’d think it like a couple of stories I heard about you that seem ridiculous,” Keegan replied. He sighed in relief to know that his concerns were addressed. He believed her and he knew she would do what she had to do.

“Badass Echo Three,” she murmured in agreement and sighed. She grinned, “So you want to know what I called you?”

“As long as it doesn’t mean anything I would kick your ass over,” Keegan replied with a chuckle.

“Trust me you might like it and consider it an honor Keegan.”

“What do you mean?”

“I gave you your Sioux name,” she replied. She then explained, “Ohanzee means ‘shadow’. And I don’t mean by what you’ve been doing.”

“I figured. Just don’t call me that when we’re on an op.”

“Solid copy.”


	26. Chapter 26

“You are seriously brain damaged if you think that is going to work.” Logan looked at his older brother with his arms crossed over his chest. “Even worse is the fact that you think that everyone else will buy it.”

“It was a thought Logan,” Hesh shot back as he handed over the weights. Even though it had been only three days, the light weight training was to keep them in shape. “Even I know that it is stupid to try and even think that.”

“Then why did you?”

“Because nothing else came to mind.”

They had been having their talk that they had agreed to have the night before. Hesh mentioned Sequoia waking up from a nightmare and described what she had told him, trying to be circumspect about the more intimate parts between him and her. He stopped when he realized that Logan was laughing at him. It occurred to him that Logan had been awake for the entire thing. Logan teased him saying, “Looked cute sticking your foot in your mouth?”

Hesh forgot about the weights and grabbed Logan in a headlock. “Who’s cute now you pain in the ass?”

It wasn’t a tight grip but it was enough to make it uncomfortable. Hesh though wasn’t in a charitable mood and tightened his grip. It still wasn’t enough to hurt Logan but enough to force him to try and fight back. He retorted, “I’m adorable. You’re just an ass.”

“Uh huh,” Hesh countered as he tightened his grip and grabbed one of Logan’s arms. “I’m an ass?”

“A big ass.” Logan grunted and struggled to get a grip on his brother.

“What?” Hesh tightened his grip.

“I’m… sorry.” Logan then managed to grab his brother and twist out of his grip. He turned the tables and managed to wrestle Hesh to the ground. “I said you were a big ass,” he repeated as he put his weight on Hesh’s back. He frowned when Hesh didn’t move except to wince. He wondered if he landed on his brother the wrong way. “Hesh?”

Hesh had been waiting for Logan to loosen his grip. He twisted and gripped his brother’s arms and pulled him down and pinned him. He grinned, “You always fall for that little brother.”

Logan scowled up at his brother. He always fell for Hesh’s feints about being hurt and because Hesh had been actually hurt, he was inclined to believe that he may have jostled his injuries. “Fuck you Hesh. At least I’m not afraid to tell it like it is.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hesh got off of Logan and stood up. He rubbed his chest and took a couple of breaths. Perhaps he had rushed into that and for reasons that were obvious. Right now he was focusing on what Logan was saying.

“Come on, Hesh. You dragged me out here and for what? You tell me what I sort of know already. What are you really after?” Logan got up and looked at his brother and noted that he really did aggravate his brother’s injuries. “Tell the truth or I might as well drag her in here…”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“If only for you to stop being a bonehead. And you were doing so good when you actually went looking for her without a kick in the pants from me.” Logan couldn’t resist mocking Hesh a little. “It’s cute but it gets old.”

“You have no fucking clue.”

“Then tell me,” Logan invited. He knew he was pissing his brother off. He knew how to push his buttons to set him off or manipulate him into doing something that he normally would balk at. It probably couldn’t come at a worse time considering the events of the past few days.

“That you are a bigger ass than me? Gladly,” Hesh countered. “I was going to tell you but you know… just forget it. I’ll figure it out myself.”

Logan was surprised at the reaction. Usually Hesh would go into what he wanted to say. This time he was walking away. He realized he had pushed too far and that his big brother was being serious about this; that the feelings were powerful. He saw Hesh start to walk away and said, “Hesh. Hesh.” When Hesh didn’t respond Logan used what he deemed the last resort, “David.”

Hesh stopped when he heard his name. Logan only called him that when it was deadly serious or he was trying to get his attention. “What?”

“What do you want to do?”

Hesh felt his jaw twitch. He hadn’t wanted to lose his temper so he walked away. When Logan called him by his given name, he realized his little brother was sorry and that he didn’t mean to go that far. Seeing the genuine honesty in his younger brother’s face, he said, “I want to make sure Rorke doesn’t get his hands on her.”

“I get that bro.”

“Thing is the only thing I could think of is trying to convince Merrick to keep her back from missions.”

That led to Logan to put them in the position they were in now, questioning his brother’s sanity. He looked at his brother who was looking at a loss. To be honest he was thinking about it too but like Hesh he was at a loss. They both knew that way was going to piss her off. She spent her career trying to prove that she could tough it like they could and they heard the stories.

“She is like her name, Logan. If we suggested that or enforced it…” Hesh sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. It had grown a little since they had joined the Ghosts. He turned to look at his brother and said, “I know the bastard wanted you too but I get the feeling that…”

“Hey I’m not good at making a Fed piss in his pants by ‘missing’ his hand,” Logan answered in complete understanding. His brother was experiencing something that he hadn’t experienced before when he used to date in high school.

“But you’re like the beast of hell when you get backed in a corner,” Hesh acknowledged. “And I know if I tried this lame suggestion with you…”

“I’d so kick your ass,” Logan finished with a grin. “And it wouldn’t be the first.”

Hesh looked at Logan with a look that said he clearly doubted it. It also showed his appreciation that Logan was in on this with him. He felt shitty enough about doing this behind her back. “Only because I let you win,” he replied with a slight grin on his face.

“Let me win?”

“You’re my baby bro,” Hesh offered with a grin. He knew that Logan’s major peeve was him going easy on him. It was why Logan loved a good ass kicking in sparring. He tried hard and liked it when his opponent gave it all he got. Hell he sported the bruises Sequoia gave him on the sub like badges of honor.

Logan knew his brother was teasing him. It didn’t work anymore since Hesh long got over the fact that Logan could hold his own and didn’t pull punches when they scuffled. They just did it for old time’s sake. He replied, “And don’t you forget it.” It allowed them to chuckle and Logan asked, “So any other ideas?”

Hesh sobered too and sighed, “Well… that last idea was lame but… Logan we have to take out Rorke. If there is a chance we need to take it. For Dad…”

“And Hawk. I get you bro,” Logan replied as he nodded in agreement. “I want the bastard as much as you do.” He turned away slightly since his thoughts were on the fact that he had shot their dad. Rorke may have directed his hand and pushed on him to pull the trigger but that didn’t change the fact that he did pull the trigger.

“Hey… not your fault Logan.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that it was my hand on the gun,” Logan replied as he looked at his brother.

“At least you were able to do something. I just sat there.”

Both brothers were right and both were wrong and they knew it. They could both argue over who was at fault. They were sure that if Sequoia were there and even Merrick would put their two cents in about how they were at as much fault. They looked at each other and both silently agreed that the one responsible for getting them into this state needed to be dealt with and preferably dead. The means was something that needed to be worked out and that wouldn’t happen until they got their orders of what they were going to do next.

Hesh looked at his brother and said, “No matter what happens, we do this together little brother.”

“You know I’m with you big bro,” Logan nodded in agreement. “Just… you know she’s gonna want in on it. Dad meant a lot to her too even if she doesn’t show it in the traditional sense.” He paused to peer at his brother since he appeared to be in thought. “You do get that right?”

“I know that,” Hesh retorted with a frown, more annoyed that his thought were being interrupted. He changed his tone and added, “We both know that and I know she’s gonna want to be in on whatever we plan.”

“Maybe it’s not a bad thing. She’s gone with us on missions and while I find it odd that Merrick always gives her the eyes and ears bit, nothing bad has come of that,” Logan offered with a shrug of his shoulders. No doubt Hesh had been thinking about this all day or maybe longer than that.

Hesh had to concede that point. Still he was in two minds about having Sequoia out there on the next mission as live bait. It was bad enough that Logan was going but… Damn being in love with someone really twisted your head around. Tactically Sequoia was good to have at your back and they both knew the job had its risks. Hell before he met her she was leading her own team and he had heard of the crazy shit they did; she was a legend like her father. Deep down though, he had the nasty feeling that if Rorke did get a hold of her and his brother, that would prove a worse fate than death; it would kill that part of her that he found attractive.

“You can’t argue that she can keep her head,” Logan pointed out, “And better than you. Must be why she likes you.”

Hesh looked at his brother who was giving him a grin. He retorted, “You are so full of shit sometimes.” He knew though that Logan was pointing out the possible arguments in favor of her going on the next mission whatever it would be.

“Not when it comes to the fact that she’s more like me except you can tell when she’s pissed. It’s like a dead fuse or something. You don’t know it’s still lit until…” Logan made a motion like a bomb exploding. It was the best he could come up with in terms of an analogy. It certainly explained her rage when she body tackled Rorke.

Hesh felt his lip twitch at the analogy. Logan was like that and no doubt it described her too. He had seen her when she seemed to explode. The tomahawk in the wall was also a testament and as far as he knew it was still in there. He had walked by and both Merrick and Keegan were frustrated and it looked like they had tried to get it out but couldn’t. He figured she had been madder than he thought when he found her that night. He muttered, “Tell me about it.”

“So you did notice.”

“Shut up.”

Logan chuckled. It was nice to banter with his brother. He sobered and said, “Seriously though bro… maybe the best way to make sure she isn’t hurt is to let her do her job. Even if it is ‘eyes and ears’.”

“I think that was Merrick’s way of keeping her in the game. He only started saying it after our first physical encounter with Rorke.” Hesh paused and then asked, “You think Dad thought of doing the same thing?”

“Probably. I don’t know how Dad saw her. If they talked when he called her in more likely it was about what she was doing but…” Logan shrugged his shoulders. “I know I would and she’s my best friend.”

Hesh nodded and turned to think while Logan picked up a set of weights to do arm curls. He knew that his suggestion was a bad idea. Merrick’s way kept her in but… he didn’t really know what to do. What he did know was that he didn’t want to lose her. She was like a bright light in this darkness even when she was going through her own pain.

****

“Are you going to come in or just stand there?”

Hesh blinked as he realized that the medic was speaking to him. He looked at the person and frowned, “Carol, right?”

Carol gave a nod and a smile, “Glad you remembered, Lieutenant. But I have to ask if you intend to come in or just stand there?” She put her hands on her hips to wait for an answer. It was most effective in many cases since it seemed to remind battle hardened soldiers that they still were whipped when it came to women who acted like a mother would.

Hesh blinked trying to absorb the fact that he was seeing Carol again. The last time he saw her was on the sub and that was a rather… memorable experience. Seeing that she was waiting and near impatient he moved and started to walk into the infirmary. He ended up stammering, “I’m just… here to get…”

“I know, stitch check and you popped some the other day,” Carol replied as she pushed him in.

Hesh was still wondering what he had walked into as he was ordered to strip off his shirt and he complied readily. The only other person capable of making him be that compliant was Sequoia. At least that was when she was stern with him and Logan so maybe that didn’t count or it did. He sat on the examination table or more like leaned on it. It was a shock when Carol just ripped the gauze off and he exclaimed, “Shit! What was that for?”

“Better to rip it off fast than slow and agonizing,” Carol offered with little to now apology as she did the other too. She ignored the grunts Hesh gave along with the minor swearing and grinned. “You sound just like her.”

“You would too if you had a bandage ripped off,” Hesh retorted with a grunt. “No wonder she calls you a little shit.”

“If only you knew,” Carol chuckled as she put on gloves. “By the way you have to earn the right to call me that.”

“Seems fitting though,” Hesh pouted, well aware that it was a serious blow to his ego at the moment. He turned away while Carol poked and prodded at the stitches on the cuts on his chest. He looked around the infirmary and noted that no one else was there. Logan was to go in later for a checkup so… “Why are you here?”

“I could ask you that question,” Carol replied as she checked the work done by the medics belonging to the ship. She mused that it was a decent job including the patch up when Hesh popped a couple. “Mmm… not bad. Not the work of a surgeon but it will do.”

“Glad for the assessment but could you answer the question?”

Carol grinned at the discomfort Hesh was exhibiting. She had seen his type before. They were fearless when taking the injury and even put their own men first but was a total baby when it came to getting the injury treated. It was a comical paradox in her mind and it vastly entertained her. Her friend was more entertaining since it could get to the point where she would take the medical tool and use it as a weapon and it didn’t matter if it was a Band-Aid or a scalpel.

Seeing that Hesh was starting to move and wriggle, she answered his question, “I was reassigned and to tell you the truth I found it startling. In my years of serving… transferred twice… Might say something.”

“But why?”

Carol finished the inspection and gave a cleaning with rubbing alcohol and applied a dabbing of antibiotic ointment. The stuff stung like hell but it would ‘toughen’ the babies up. She replied, “No idea except that I was to be assigned as the medic for the Ghost team. Don’t ask me why and I don’t think it has to do with the fact that a certain friend of mine was a pain in the ass about her hands getting treated.”

“The gauze was itchy,” Hesh offered a bit lamely since it was a lame excuse.

Carol though knew and grinned, “It is. And imagine my surprise that she wasn’t as bad as she was on the sub.”

“It varies?”

Carol laughed at that as she started to apply fresh gauze. She saw the look on Hesh’s face and explained, “Hardly. It could be a paper cut and she would throw a punch to keep a medic away.”

“Did Hawk punch you?”

“No,” Carol frowned with a slight frown though it was mocking in some respects. She looked like she was deep in thought with that one and it gave her a moment to observe Hesh. She added, “More like she called me a little shit with a scalpel.”

Hesh looked at the older woman and he still couldn’t fathom the fact that she had no problem with Sequoia calling her names. “Why do you let Hawk call you that?”

“Because I know she doesn’t mean it. And she saved my life.” Carol looked up to see that Hesh was staring with the look that asked her to tell him more. She found it interesting but then again she had a chance to see her friend and the man who was her patient interact. She explained, “I was part of another unit when I got left behind. It was a sweep of the wall and Feds had been sighted. One of my old until was injured and I was handling it.”

“They left you behind?’

“They were to sweep the wall and take out the enemy and defend any civilians. It’s easy to forget though I think Sequoia would say otherwise,” Carol explained. She pursed her lips to make a face as she applied the other set of bandages. She continued, “The fighting was fierce and I wasn’t too good with a gun. Still I was willing to defend my patient and I did until we were surrounded by a Fed patrol. Not a large one but I couldn’t make a stand. Anyway, I thought it was over until something distracted them and gunfire erupted. It was Echo squad and they mowed the patrol down like it was nothing. Leading the charge was my friend.

“She really didn’t like me at first though she was more pissed at my squad for leaving a man behind. She ordered her men to carry my patient and for me to follow. We came across another patrol and I was all thumbs. That was when she called me a little shit.” Carol chuckled to herself. This was the best part they always remembered. “ _I_ said ‘fuck you’ and I knew that was bad since I was a corporal and she was sergeant. Funny thing was that she didn’t mind at all especially when one of her men got hit and I just do what I do.”

“So how did you end up with Echo?” Hesh put his shirt back on. He didn’t have to stay but he was curious.

“She requested my transfer,” Carol offered like it was a surprising thing. She peeled off her gloves and tossed them in the biohazard trash container. “I found out later that she said something along the lines that Charlie Squad didn’t deserve a damn good medic if they left them behind or something like that. It impressed brass and the transfer completed. I became Echo Five and stuck around.”

Hesh thought about it for a moment and then nodded his thanks. He adjusted his shirt as he stood up and stretched just a little. “Thanks, Doc.”

“All in a day’s work, Lieutenant,” Carol replied. She gave him a friendly smile which he returned. Before he was completely out she asked, “How is she?”

Hesh paused and looked back at the medic. She was standing where he had left her with her arms crossed over her chest. She was staring at him like she was observing him for something. He frowned and asked, “What?”

“How is she?”

Hesh wasn’t sure what Carol meant. Did she even know what happened with Elias? Did she know about… whatever? He wasn’t sure of exactly what she wanted and replied, “What do you mean? Like…?”

“Just in general,” Carol offered with a shrug. “I’m curious since she is no longer in command of her squad. She may not have conveyed that impression at first glance but… the team was always first even when a mission was on the line.”

“Uh… she’s… Hawk.” Hesh shrugged. He didn’t really want to mention that they were in a relationship of sorts. So far only Logan had any clue and… It would just make things awkward and difficult since they were in the same unit and there was this thing about regulations. He frowned trying to feign confusion.

Carol nodded and replied, “Okay.”

Hesh blinked and turned to leave but was held back when Carol added, “Pity you don’t trust me enough.”

Hesh looked at Carol, “I don’t…”

“I’m not blind and I know Sequoia,” Carol said. She walked to stand close to Hesh so that they wouldn’t be overheard. “She is calmer than what I remember. At first I thought you two would kill each other. You’re more alike than you know.”

“I…”

“It’s okay Lieutenant. I am honestly happy that she’s opened up to someone than me the old bat. The fact that she hasn’t done anything to you bodes well.” Carol gave a smile and added in a whisper, “The secret’s safe with me.”

Hesh realized that he gained an ally in terms of his relationship with Sequoia. It was a weird sort of blessing but he would take it. He nodded and said, “Thanks, Doc. And it’s Hesh.”

Carol nodded, “Alright Hesh. Send your brother to me. He skipped out this morning.”

“Will do.”


	27. Chapter 27

Two more days had passed and Hesh and Logan were declared as fit as could be by Carol. It was a relief since they both thought that she was taking her job of checking on their injuries as the new medic for the Ghosts a bit too… they really couldn’t describe it. It didn’t help that Sequoia seemed to be amused since Merrick was the one that had her play enforcer and take them down to the infirmary since Logan’s ill-fated attempt at skipping out. At least they were used to her calling Carol the little shit with the scalpel.

Hesh was actually happy despite the situation they were living. He still missed his dad and was concerned that his killer was still on the loose but he was happy. Most of that was because of Sequoia. She seemed to have perked up after what happened in Vegas. She didn’t forget it since he woke her up with another nightmare and he felt bad since he deliberately kept a few things from her. Yet she seemed… better like she accepted that Dad was gone and was going to keep going. He did have the suspicious thought that she was planning something.

He couldn’t explain it but he knew that she was planning and probably a plan to take out Rorke. He wasn’t going to call her out on it since she gave no indication of such and besides, that kind of thing would lead to a fight and he picked up a few things. With her, never start a fight unless you think you can finish it and even then to not expect it to be an easy victory. He had his fair share of them and he felt like an idiot afterwards. So he was going to just let it lie unless something did come up that warranted a talk. For now he was just happy being with her.

He knew she was happy since she had gone back to teasing. He finally managed to ask her what Shappa meant since she started calling him that and particularly when he got frustrated. He asked her when she caught him and Logan scuffling again. He had his brother in a headlock and Logan was saying something akin to proving his manly worth, again poking fun at the fact that he was in a relationship. The funny thing was that it never bothered him before; he would always punch Logan and tease him about the girl he was dating for the week.

For someone who was quiet and a bookworm by nature, Logan was popular with the girls. He gave off an air of confidence that was paradoxical to the stereotype of nerds. Then again Hesh made sure that Logan could stand up for himself, which he did do on occasion. Hesh was the one that usually got in trouble for fighting and that was only because someone was picking on his little brother and he happened to be in the general vicinity. Logan would join in on those fights but mostly got off and they would joke about it later and eventually everyone got it that you didn’t mess with the Walker boys unless you wanted trouble. From then on it was sort of smooth sailing in terms of school and the usual.

Now it was different and Hesh was starting to understand the difference between infatuation and actual love. It was different and he liked it even though it frustrated him that it turned his head every other way except the right way. So that was the reason why he had Logan in a headlock and demanding, “You think you’re better?”

“Dude, I know I am. I just buy my time. You’re like a HESH round.” Logan was chuckling as he tried to get a grip on his brother.

“You’ve seen nothing.”

“Ha! Like what you did to that pilot that grabbed her ass?” Logan then started humming that childish taunt of Hesh and Hawk sitting in a tree. He was trying hard not to laugh since it sounded funny anyway.

Hesh tightened his grip and said, “At least he learned some manners unlike you.”

At that moment Logan managed to slip his grip and got him into a headlock. They taunted some more until Logan said, “And I bet you’re scared to say it out loud.”

That had Hesh give a grunt roar and he grabbed his brother and flung him on the ground and pinned him and held his arm behind him. “You’re saying I’m scared you little pain in the ass?”

“Damn straight!”

It was then that Sequoia came in and said, “Am I interrupting?”

Logan had to play it cute and said that they were practicing yoga. It was lost on her but she ended up laughing. Hesh had been grumbling and released his brother a little roughly. It was then that she said, “Letting a storm brew Shappa?”

Logan was chuckling and Hesh did feel better when she rubbed his brother’s head like she would Riley’s and said, “Cute and adorable but asking for trouble Sungmanitu.”

 It was Hesh’s turn to be amused since Logan figured what she called him was the equivalent of a cute puppy and was scowling at her. She was just smiling and had that teasing twinkle that dared them to ask what it was she said. She had done that a couple of times when she said something either to one of the ship’s crew or when she spoke to Keegan. It was infuriating because she was telling them in her way that they had to ask if they wanted to know since she wasn’t going to tell them. In the end the scuffling was forgotten about since both were driven mad trying to get her to tell them without asking and she humored them to a point but still said nothing.

Finally when they were alone, Hesh asked, “Can I ask you something Hawk?”

“You just did.”

Hesh knew he walked into that one. He couldn’t help but let the small smile form. He replied, “Okay.”

Sequoia chuckled as she looked at him with a smile. “What is it?”

“What does it mean?”

Hesh knew she was doing it on purpose and he found that he couldn’t be mad with her. She was only teasing and it seemed to emphasize that she was fine. Besides he liked the fact that she was good at dishing back a taste of Logan’s own medicine. He clarified trying to pronounce the word, “What does Shappa mean?”

She stared at him for time with that thoughtful expression. He thought she was deciding on whether or not she was going to make him work for it and he inwardly hoped that she wouldn’t. Finally she said, “It means red thunder.”

Hesh thought about it for a moment and the times she used it. The most recent comment made it clear. He looked at her with a raised brow, “Seriously?”

“You should consider it an honor,” she said in that soft tone of hers. She looked down and actually made a circle with the toe of her boot. “Considering that it is reflective of you. It is a part of you.” She gave a slight shrug of her shoulder and continued to draw a circle on the ground with her boot. Shyly she offered, “And a part I like most.”

Hesh felt his skin flush and was sure he was blushing. No one said that his temper was something they liked. He asked, “Why do you like it?”

When she looked at him, he noticed the olive skin that didn’t seem to weather despite the missions they had gone on looked a little flushed. She was blushing too! She replied, “Because it shows that you care. About whoever or whatever…” She looked away, not sure of what else to say.

Hesh felt like an ass at first since it was obvious that she had put some thought into it. He just never thought that she would find something good out of what most people considered a sort of bad thing. It actually was touching to him and he gently put his finger under her chin and moved it so she would look at him and said, “I’m sorry. I do like it.”

She smiled after a moment and then said, “And it does sound menacing in English even if it is simple like a baby name.”

Hesh thought about it and nodded in agreement. It was tempting to kiss her then and there but they were a bit out in the open. Instead he rubbed her chin in a soothing gesture between his thumb and forefinger. He repeated, “I do like it, Hawk and I am honored. Thank you.”

She nodded, “You’re welcome.”

“Do you mind telling me what you called Logan?” Hesh gave a grin and a slight puppy look. It was unusual for him but he wanted to at least have some understanding why she always seemed to laugh when she said whatever she called his brother.

Sequoia smiled at him and replied, “Only because I like you and I am trusting that you will force him to come and ask me.”

“I think I learned my lesson.”

“We’ll see,” she teased. She sighed and added, “Now don’t be jealous but Sungmanitu means ‘wolf’ but it is better than calling him dog and I have much more fun calling him a laughing pup.” She said the name ‘laughing pup’ in Sioux and chuckled.

Hesh was amused and not at all jealous. He found it funny that she called Logan a pup and he noticed that Logan scowled. “I can imagine that you have other variations.”

“Plenty that involve cute and adorable,” she added in seriousness. She held his hand and her thumb traced the scar from the glass injury. She paused a moment and then said, “You are Chaska, firstborn son…” She then murmured something and released his hand.

Hesh would have asked what she said but he couldn’t. Keegan had made himself known and indicated that Merrick wanted to speak with them. They nodded and followed Keegan down to where Merrick was waiting. Logan was already there with Riley and the dog bounded up to greet Sequoia, apparently feeling better. Hesh made a slight face as Sequoia gave Riley a scratch and a head rub before looking up to see the tomahawk still stuck in the wall. It looked like the past five days Merrick and Keegan couldn’t get it out and just left it.

Merrick glanced in the direction that Hesh was looking in. He couldn’t help but give a slight shake of his head. He and Keegan were at a loss at how to get the damn thing out since they tried and it wouldn’t budge. So they left it and didn’t say a word though it did have a few people wondering about it. He looked at the Ghosts that had gathered. Kick and Neptune were the last to arrive. “As you know the Federation satellites are moving into position as we speak. If they go live, they can strike targets anywhere on the globe.”

They had this conversation on the chopper to the USS Liberator. Hesh had been adamant then about going after Rorke. The others had the same feeling except Sequoia. She looked weary at the whole thing until that night. Merrick looked at the group and continued, “So the plan is that we are going to risk everything we have down to the last carrier and hit the heart of Fed territory. On the ground and in the air…”

“All or nothing,” Sequoia said softly. It was soft but the somber tones held firmness in them. It reflected determination.

“Absolutely,” Merrick confirmed. He looked at the team for a moment. He was in command now and he found himself asking the question that Sequoia had asked him their first night on the carrier. He didn’t know what to feel about it but he was determined to do his best. His gaze lingered on Sequoia as she looked at him and she gave a slight nod of encouragement. He continued, “When the assault starts, we need a Ghost Team on the ground.”

“We’ll be ready,” Hesh said with a slight nod.

“Good. Cause you’re leading this one Hesh,” Merrick replied.

An eerie silence came over the group. You could hear a pin drop but the only sound was Riley panting. Finally Logan asked, “You’re not coming?”

 Merrick looked at the team and took a breath before saying, “I’ll be in Elias’ seat coordinating your resources.” He almost sounded apologetic when he said it. He was surprised when he felt Sequoia give a reassuring pat on his shoulder. It spoke of her confidence and he almost wanted to ask who the new Hawk was.

The gesture seemed to put everyone else at ease about the whole thing. It certainly allowed Merrick to address Hesh and Logan, “Your father was a great man, a great leader. He saw the same potential in both of you. He also said the same about you Hawk.”

Hesh glanced over and noticed her lip twitch slightly. She looked like she was going to say something but decided against it. Merrick had a point though and both he and Logan knew their dad. Once the man made up his mind he rarely changed it and he was also good at reading people. So if Merrick confirmed it… it was true and to Hesh it seemed that she was considering it. He turned his attention to Merrick who had pulled something out of his back pocket.

“Here Logan. This belonged to him,” Merrick said as he handed over the balaclava that had belonged to Elias Walker. He figured that it would bring the younger Walker some measure of comfort though it seemed that he was doing okay and that was largely because of Sequoia.

Logan took the balaclava and looked at it before silently putting it in his back pocket. He was grateful that Merrick thought he should have it. He knew though that Hesh wouldn’t really want it in that he wouldn’t feel right. He kind of felt that he didn’t want to have it either but… he did miss his dad. It was just one thing to hold onto and he had his brother. He would keep it and if he met Rorke…

“Hawk, when you’re on the ground,” Merrick walked over to where the tomahawk was still wedged in the wall. He pointed at it and continued, “You give the same as you did this to the Feds. Give it everything.”

Sequoia looked at the wall and the tomahawk. She had forgotten that it was still there. Actually she didn’t because she felt then that she wasn’t ready for it. She understood what Elias had meant when he wrote that he wasn’t sure it was the right time to give it to her. Now… she felt it was right. She walked up to the wall and ran her fingers on the handle. She could make out the eagle feather carved into the handle. She stared at it for a moment and it was like she could hear the drums of the Ghost Dance and her heart pounded as she heard the songs of warriors. It was time so she wrapping her fingers around the handle and gave a hard pull and the blade came free. Deftly she twirled it in her hand and slid it into the loop that had been empty since their capture. She looked at Merrick and said, “You can count on me.”

****

“You okay little bro?”

“I’m good Hesh. Just thoughtful and still reeling that Hawk pulled it out when Keegan and Merrick couldn’t.” Logan shuffled on his feet quietly and felt the balaclava in his back pocket. He fished it out and looked at it.

Hesh was still stunned at that himself but maybe it was him and his being the oversensitive boyfriend, if it could be called that, but he noticed that when she looked at it, her demeanor changed. It was like she was ready for what was to come. It was that fire in her eye when he first saw her swing a tomahawk and it was saving his and Logan’s asses. She was ready for whatever was to come and she wasn’t afraid to die and it was that part that worried him. He looked at Logan who was moving to get his gear ready. He clicked his tongue against his teeth and said, “Logan.”

Logan heard the tone. That meant this was a serious discussion. He turned while Hesh made sure that they had privacy by shutting the door. He replied, “What’s the plan bro?”

Hesh had to marvel at how well they knew each other. It was their greatest strength when they trained as boys and when they went through boot and then finally on the frontlines. They were able to communicate without words and it actually proved to be a deadly combination. It also helped when they were younger and they came up with plans to sneak out and meet up with girls or do the harmless shit they did like joyriding in the truck.

This time though, this was about the mission that was coming up. Hesh knew that what they planned there was going to have some serious repercussions if they made it back in one piece. The look in his younger brother’s eye though told him that he was in. No matter what they would do what they had planned. He said, “We’re going after Rorke.”

“You know I’m with you,” Logan replied in equal seriousness. He put his hands on his hips. “You think he’ll be there?”

“The Federation is going to want to make a statement with the satellites,” Hesh said. He had put some thought into this and came to a few conclusions. “It is designed to be their weapon to finish what they started ten years ago. Most definitely he’ll be there. The bastard will be there and we’ll be there to get him.”

Logan nodded in agreement at that. He agreed that they needed to go after Rorke. The man killed their father and deserved what was coming to him. However there were certain priorities. He voiced them, “We still have the mission, Hesh.”

“I know,” Hesh said in a low tone. He paced a little and then went to grab his gear and prep it. “We have to do the mission and there is nothing we can do about it.”

Logan knew what his brother meant. “She won’t disobey orders, big brother.”

“I know.” Hesh pulled out his gear and inspected it to make sure it was in working order. He felt like he was someone else as he was saying this but it had to be said. He understood now why she did what she did back with Clockwork. He continued, “The mission is the priority, Logan. That comes first and if the chance presents itself… we take it.”

Logan had gone back to getting his gear ready. He made sure his vest was packed with the necessaries. There was a small tear in the shoulder and he fingered it. He knew his brother was working up to what he was planning. “And if we get our chance… what about Hawk?”

“The worst enemies are the ones that know how to keep a target at unease,” Hesh recited from memory. He felt dirty for saying it but… “The trick though is to lure the hunter…”

Logan understood what his brother was getting at. He looked up from his preparations and noticed that Hesh was staring off in thought but his mind was on the situation at hand. He voiced what Hesh was alluding to, “You want to let her think that she is going to help.”

Hesh looked at Logan. It sounded dirty when he made it sound like that. It did sound dirty. Who was he kidding? Still he had to explain, “The mission is priority. We are the boots on the ground so we will do it. If we get word… Then I will have to exert authority.”

“She’s not gonna like it,” Logan pointed out. “She will fight you.”

“She won’t fight orders,” Hesh pointed out though he was certain that was total bullshit. He knew that she would find a way around it, orders or not. “And if it doesn’t work then…” He pulled out a set of zip ties.

“Now I know that you are crazy. Seriously? You’re gonna place her under arrest?”

Hesh frowned at that. He replied, “No, stupid.”

Logan got what Hesh was getting at. He noticed the pained look that was starting to form on his brother’s face. He knew that his brother had been considering all angles on this. He was going to see the mission through but when they went after Rorke… “You really want to do that?”

“No I don’t,” Hesh replied as he looked at the ties. He ran his fingers on the things before tucking them after prepping them into his vest. “It’s the last thing that I want to do Logan. If it comes to that…”

Logan looked at the expression Hesh was shooting him. He was surprised at the silent question was shooting at him. He really wasn’t sure what to say but he knew why Hesh was asking him the question. He finally managed to say, “I’m with you bro. No matter what.”

There was a silence that hung over them as they continued to work on setting up their gear. Logan was bothered that Hesh was considering things that he wouldn’t consider unless it was a last resort. Yet they both knew as well as other soldiers, you exercised all your options before resorting to the last resort means. What he saw was bothering his brother was that the last resort was something that could break him.

“I love her Logan.”

Logan had been deep in his thoughts as he was working on his gear. He looked up when he heard his brother’s declaration. After all this time pestering him to admit it… Hesh admitted it freely and on his own without any prodding. He blinked and didn’t say anything.

Hesh looked up and looked at his brother. Her had put his vest down and was checking his pack and making sure he had what he needed. He had to say it since it felt like he wasn’t making sense even though his sibling was telling him that he understood and was with him. He almost wanted to laugh since that was what Logan had been pestering him to say out loud for the past week. It was hardly a laughing matter though. His last resort was something that while understandable…

“Hesh?”

Hesh looked up and repeated, “I love her.”

“I know,” Logan replied as he got up and gave a brotherly pat and punch to his brother’s shoulder. “I get why you hate yourself for implying the last resort.”

“It’s like her name and…”

“It’s not like keeping her out of the fight entirely,” Logan offered. “That was a lame ass idea.”

Hesh shook his head slightly at that. “Actually it’s the same, Logan. It’s the same damn thing.” He leaned on his knees as he looked forward. “I don’t see any other way and I fucking made a promise. I promised that bastard wouldn’t get her hands on her.”

Logan patted Hesh’s shoulder again. He knew this. He had read Hesh’s journal since he was curious as to why he started writing in it again after all this time. It was the basis for his teasing along with his own observations. His brother thought the world of her and could only guess what that bastard had in mind. He didn’t feel slighted that Hesh never gave consideration to him. He knew his big brother was just as concerned about him and he admitted it earlier that he would do the same if it weren’t for the fact that Logan would rather shoot him in the ass than go along with that.

“She’s special Logan and I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to her.”

Logan nodded. He understood where his brother was coming from and he was certain she felt the same way. She would understand and if she was pissed, she would get over it. He said, “I think she’ll understand why once she gets over it. I think she feels the same for you.”

Hesh looked up at his younger brother. He wasn’t going to call him a liar. He wasn’t sure himself but Logan’s words were reassuring. He reached up and patted Logan’s shoulder in silent thanks. Out loud he said, “Then we do this.”

“With you all the way.”


	28. Chapter 28

Sequoia leaned against the railing of the carrier as she stared out over the waves of the sea. She couldn’t see the coastline of Chile where they were going but she knew it was there. The carrier was taking them as close as they were going to get. Keegan, Kick and Neptune were heading out in the morning to prep for their part on the assault. The team was splitting up to do their parts and it felt… different. Maybe it was because this was an all in mission or… She looked down at her father’s tomahawk that was now hers and ran her fingers along it.

_Father, what is that?_

_That is the eagle feather my little Hawk. It is the symbol of our people. To receive such a thing is the greatest honor for we all strive to fly with our kin the eagle._

_What about hawks like me?_

_You are the White Hawk my daughter. You are not like the eagle and yet you are._

Sequoia felt her lip twitch at that. She had only been a child when she had asked that. At the time she didn’t understand what her father meant that she was of the eagle but not of it. She didn’t really understand the whole thing growing up but accepted it. At times it seemed like a burden and a curse and at others… she wasn’t sure.

_One day it will go to you little Hawk. On that day you will start to see what you are and what you will be._

She had seen it when she pulled it out of the wall. It was humorous considering that Merrick and Keegan couldn’t get it out and then here she comes along and pulls it out. But it made sense. It was waiting for her, waiting for her to assume the role of the warrior that she was. She was Lakota Sioux and her people were warriors. Along with the other bands of Sioux they were known for their stand against their oppressors.

_We are Lakota, little Hawk. We have walked these lands for many generations and have survived despite what has happened to our people. We will continue to live. Our spirit runs with the Great Mystery._

“We make the choices as they come,” Sequoia muttered.

This upcoming engagement was the mission. They had to take control of the Federation’s form of ODIN and take it out. If they didn’t then they would be lost. It was a grim picture but that was the plain truth. There was no defense and if they picked a target… it would be like what ODIN did so long ago. That was why this was an all or nothing mission. That also meant the high probability that Rorke would be there… waiting. Waiting for her and Logan.

She didn’t have to be a mind reader to know that was on everyone’s mind. Since it was a high priority Fed project… He would be there. She didn’t have the intel but she had a gut feeling and it had never let her down before. Besides if anything her dreams where she saw him face to face, they were a good indicator that he was waiting. He would be waiting because he knew the Ghosts.

The man was a hunter but in the most extreme. He was a predator but the kind that stalks his prey by taunting them. He gave them enough and then set the trap. That was what this whole thing had been all along. True they managed to give hard blows but in war, sometimes a sacrifice must be made. That much she knew when she studied history in school and the fact that one of her father’s guilty pleasures was chess. He would spend hours if given the chance over a chess board for one move.

The story he told her was that he learned patience from that game but he also learned how to read people. For some it was by the conversation you could read people and for others it was the decisions they made when put under pressure. It also taught a lot about the art of war since that was what it was and a battle of the minds. He taught her how to play and showed her how to play without actually playing with the pieces like the masters of old. It stuck since she was like a sponge with learning growing up. She certainly had fun when she played chess with Logan.

It was when they were on their way down to Caracas for their first mission as Ghosts. Logan found her holding the black queen and she was thinking and asked her what she was doing. She had answered that she was hunting the king. It had piqued Logan’s curiosity and he suggested a game. He stated that whoever won, they got to pick a forfeit that the loser would have to do. She agreed and they played and he played a good game. She never expected that from him and she enjoyed it. In the end she lost and that was only because she spoke out his next move and finished the game by verbalizing what would be done. It cemented their friendship especially with the penalty he suggested.

This wasn’t a game but it seemed that a lot of the childhood games she played and things she had observed… they were reflecting what she was going through and thinking about now. From that she could deal with war and fighting and other practical matters. The thing was though none of that could help her with the fact that things were different because for the first time she was in love and with a man who made her feel that… She couldn’t describe it but she knew that it affect her deeper than anything else if she were to lose him. Yet she knew, just as he did, that they were soldiers and as soldiers they had to expect that death could meet them at some point. She knew that she would probably rant and rave if that happened and do worse than what she did to the wall in the command post for the Ghosts.

She chuckled and looked down at her father’s now her tomahawk. She thought about her other one, the one she grew up with and trained on. She knew that she wouldn’t want it anymore. That bastard had used it on Hesh. She knew the injury type considering that she had used it time and again before becoming a Ghost and she kept the blade honed to sharpness that was like the samurai swords of old. Hesh would have been in extreme pain and it looked like Rorke made a few of them deeper. She had heard the screams and it fueled her ire. One day she would meet that bastard again and they would fight.

_It is a dance when two hunters that match find each other. But beware little Hawk. There are those that are hunters but they hunt to kill… for revenge, for any wrong done to them. These are predators and are extremely tough to kill…_

Sequoia felt her lip twitch in a sort of smile. She knew that pretty well since it seemed that Rorke was not a man to die easily. She wondered if her father ever saw that when he worked with the Ghosts. He would have sensed something was off and Elias said that he was always uncomfortable around the man. Maybe that wasn’t the right word though…

“Thinking too hard again Hawk.”

Sequoia smiled as she continued to look out over the sea. She then turned to lean her back against the rail and replied, “And you’re tailing me again Ohanzee.”

Keegan gave a slight scowl at that. She had taken to calling him that in front of the squad the last couple of days. He didn’t mind actually since he noticed the Walker boys go along with it. Hesh especially seemed pleased by it even though what she called him sounded like a baby name. So far no one seemed to mind and really who was going to care when they had a battle to face tomorrow? He replied, “Considering that you’ve just pretty much been… you I guess. I just wanted to make sure. Can’t be too careful.”

“Caution is commendable,” she allowed. She played with the tomahawk in her fingers. “Is the captain pissed I left a hole?”

Keegan couldn’t help but laugh at that. Ever since she pulled it out of the wall the gaping hole was still there. People who passed by did it to see it and even ask about who made it. He remembered a couple of soldiers who actually were nervous when they heard that it was Echo Three that did it. Apparently their Hawk was very well known. “I think you have half the ship scared of getting on your bad side.”

“I ‘miss’ when they are on my bad side,” Sequoia replied, not missing the laugh or the smile that plastered itself on the elder Ghost’s face. She smiled slightly and shrugged, “Most people aren’t used to seeing a woman be just as ruthless as a man.”

“No they aren’t used to seeing an angry Lakota waving a tomahawk like it was nothing,” Keegan corrected and was inwardly pleased that she grinned at that. He had come to say good bye or rather a see you later since they weren’t going to be on the ground together. He sobered and asked, “So are you…”

“Going to do what I have to… what we have to do since this is all or nothing.” Sequoia played with the tomahawk and twirled it in her fingers. She looked at the older Ghost and repeated what she told him earlier, “I’m okay.”

“And I believe you. Just that…”

“I’m a crazy bitch with a reputation for making grown men cry or they hate my guts,” Sequoia replied with a slight smile. She couldn’t help but chuckle because that’s how it was. She remembered when she got on Charlie Leader’s ass and what happened there.

“Crazy is right. You didn’t know you would make it at the platform did you?”

Sequoia gave a mischievous grin and a shrug of her shoulders. She shifted and put the heel of one boot against the toe of the other as she leaned against the rail. “Not really but I was determined to make it. Sometimes that’s what makes all of it.” She paused and studied the older man. She noted that he was pretty much geared up to leave. “So you, Kick and Neptune leaving soon?”

Keegan looked down at his person and then back up at her. “Yeah but Neptune will be staying with Merrick in the command.”

“Kick and Keegan, the dynamic duo,” she joked.

“Please.” Keegan gave a slight eye roll as he looked at her smiling face. Ever since she joined, he found her to be a little different than most people… and certainly different at expressing her feelings. She was an oddity at first but he realized that they were similar. They both preferred quiet observation to assess the situation and act accordingly. Their differences lie in her ability to outdo him in sitting still and the fact that she had a sense of humor laced with sarcasm. True he saw a lot of her father in her and he remembered that man well but there were some things that were her. Her temper though… “Stay sharp Hawk.”

“I’m going to miss my Ohanzee.”

“You really do like pushing buttons don’t you?”

Sequoia chuckled and replied, “You should see Logan. He’s rough but he’s good.” She sighed a bit and added, “I will miss you guys.”

“It’s not like we’re going to the station in space.”

“No but… It’s kind of like my tribe. Every member is important no matter how small or insignificant their contribution seems. We all share in many things. I know it doesn’t quite translate very well or comfortably over in the army but… At least my team knew I had their backs.”

“And the great secret of Echo Three is revealed,” Keegan teased. “There really is a heart.”

“Oh the heart was always there. Sometimes the warrior protects it and hard.”

“Is that why you try so hard to stick to your job?” Keegan looked at Sequoia. On the surface it was a question that addressed more or less the way she conducted herself when on a mission. Embedded was Keegan’s curiosity about what he had observed between her and Hesh. He never mentioned his suspicions even though Logan seemed to know.

Sequoia was no fool. She saw through the seemingly innocence of the question. She understood now why Keegan had made the comment about Riley and territory at what seemed a lifetime ago. She had observed it too. If Keegan had any ideas, who else did? She replied, “There is the mission.”

“You’re really going to play that with me?”

“Most would say it is none of your business.” Sequoia gave a firm look at Keegan as if to challenge that assertion. She didn’t let it get to that and added, “But… some things do need to be protected especially if it is a new territory.”

“Nothing wrong with that. As long as you know what you want to do about it,” Keegan offered. He gave a slight smile and then added, “I’m just a shadow. I don’t say nothing.”

Sequoia gave a playful punch to Keegan’s shoulder as she straightened up. “Don’t be a pain Ohanzee. Good hunting out there for you and Kick both.” She wasn’t going to say good-bye.

“See you later Hawk.”

****

It was quiet even though the noises of the ship and its crew were making the noises that accompanied the jobs done on the ship. Everyone was tense and prepped for the operation that was going to go down in the morning. Every mind was on the job that they were going to do. Hesh was sitting at the table pouring out some last minute thoughts. In the morning…

Hesh looked up and turned towards the gear waiting to be slapped on at a moment’s notice. He and Logan checked and triple checked everything. Logan even made sure that hand axe Sequoia gave him was ready to go and Hesh couldn’t help but twitch his lip at that. It seemed nearly a lifetime ago when he got a very hard kick to the stomach when he thought an accident was going to occur. His brother was good with it; he had observed him a couple of times.

The last two days had been memorable and yet he felt almost jaded. The memorable part was because he spent them with her. Even something simple as checking weapons and loading them was memorable. It sounded ridiculous but Hesh knew as well as Logan that what they intended to do… there was the distinct possibility that they might not come back. It had him thinking that continuing to just… be with her was not fair to her. She shouldn’t have to… what the hell did he know?

As he admitted to Logan, he was in love with her and not simple infatuation. It was that kind that drove him crazy when he saw some asshole get cute with her or she narrowly escaped certain death. It was the kind that would devastate him if something happened to her which was why he was for what he and Logan nailed down to brass tacks but he also felt like a piece of shit for it. Logan had reassured him that he would be forgiven for it or at least some understanding but…

The door opened and Hesh bent over his journal thinking it was Logan. He had forgotten that his brother was catching a game with some soldier or other; he hadn’t been listening. It never occurred to him that Logan was giving him an opportunity…

A hand was placed on his shoulder and he actually jumped in his seat. The pencil he had been using dropped to the table and rolled to the edge and clanked on the ground. His chair jolted enough that he almost fell out of it except that he was steadied by a pair of hands along with, “Now I know that you don’t scare that easily.”

Once steadied, Hesh looked up at Sequoia who was looking at him with concern. Her braid was hanging over her right shoulder and the tail was flicking his upper arm like Riley’s tail would when he was a puppy. Something was strapped to her back since he could see it coming up from behind. He replied, “Sorry Hawk. Just… not paying attention.”

Sequoia looked at Hesh and his apologetic look. She sensed that something was on his mind. Sure she startled him once but… She bent and retrieved his pencil and handed it to him, “Writing can do that.”

Hesh took the proffered pencil and held it in his hand. He tapped his journal with it and didn’t say anything at first. As much as he wanted her company, he felt that he wasn’t going to be the best at it. All he could think about was what he and Logan were going to do and what he was going to do to her and… Finally he said, “Not really.”

Sequoia had pulled up another chair and sat close enough to put her hand on the crook of his elbow and give a reassuring and gentle squeeze. She asked, “Got a lot on your mind about tomorrow?”

 _Damn Hawk you sure know how to get to the root of things._ Hesh looked at her as he laid the pencil in the binding of the journal. He wasn’t going to get much more writing done probably. He replied, “Yeah.”

Sequoia studied Hesh and noted that he seemed to have a faraway expression… like something was gnawing at him. This was the first mission in which he was taking the lead and with Elias gone… She had faith in him and he had proven his ability when they first met in Santa Monica. Still even she knew it was better to hear it from someone that was trusted, “You’ll do fine. I know it.”

“Only because you like me,” he teased.

“No,” she replied with a slight smile as she shook her head. It turned into a gentle smile as he took her hand and held it in his. “Because I know a good leader when I see one. You are good. Charlie Leader was an asshole and didn’t know left from right.”

Hesh couldn’t help but laugh at that. He heard as much from Carol the medic and he could see that being Sequoia’s assessment. He knew she wasn’t into flattery; whatever she said, it was the honest truth. He held her hand in his and just took in the shape, the coloring of her skin. He could barely make out the faintest of old scars from scratches. His fingers brushed the skin and he could feel the contours of the bones in her hand. “Thanks.”

Sequoia resisted the urge to make a sound since his touching her hand and his fingers gently feeling out the shape and contour was pleasant. Her face was expressive of her pleasure and didn’t realize that Hesh noticed it. She looked at him and smiled and asked, “Better?”

“Being around you is always better,” Hesh answered just as honestly as she did. He wondered if he should tell her how he felt. However he wondered if it was that fair to spring that on her. They had a battle in the morning…

Sequoia looked at Hesh feeling pleased that he liked being with her. It increased when he leaned forward and gave her a kiss on her mouth, capturing her lips with his own. She accepted the kiss and let him deepen it as he held her hand in his, almost pulling her closer towards him. Slowly with her free hand, she reached up and touched his cheek with her fingers, feeling the stubble and tracing his jaw. Her fingers splayed much like when she had him in her claws when he first kissed her, her thumb gently rubbing his cheek.

Hesh broke the kiss but her hand still remained. He looked at her, took in her features, the way her cheek bones were angled that accentuated the pride she had for her people, her lively brown eyes were flickering even though there wasn’t much light… God he wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her everything and fess up to what he was going to do.

“It’ll be okay,” she said in a low voice. Her fingers had moved to trace his jaw some more and she slowly lowered her hand.

Hesh felt his throat convulse a little when she said that. It was a simple phrase and yet there was a lot of reassurance in it. Even when his dad died, there was some reassurance buried within the hurt and anger and desire for revenge. It was part of a small thing and that thing was called hope. He reached out and touched her face, his fingers lightly tracing her cheeks, feeling the soft skin, his thumb touching her chin gently. “I know.”

Sequoia cleared her throat slightly and reached into the pocket of her cargo pants. Her hand clasped tightly around what was in there and blinked. Her sudden change had Hesh confused a little but he sat back and waited for what she was going to do. He watched as she pulled out a chain and attached to the chain… “Dad’s tags?”

Sequoia nodded silently. As she did, she recalled right when Rorke gave her that backhand that sent her sprawling onto the ground. She had seen the tags right in front of her and the blood on the ground. She had started moving like she was going to hug Elias and she feigned sobbing until it turned to real sobbing as she moved. She heard Rorke mock her a little but she managed to grab the tags and yank them free, putting them in her pocket. From there it was a matter of getting the shard and what happened after that. She held the chain with the one tag on it and looked down as if to think.

“How…?” Hesh wasn’t sure what to say about it. No one thought about it since they had been tied up and were going to be killed. Then when they were escaping, there was no way to get them.

“Sometimes a hunter can make his prey see one thing when he is doing something else,” Sequoia replied softly. “The trick is to keep the prey watching.” She rubbed the etching of the standard information on dog tags. She took Hesh’s hand and slowly and with dignity placed the tag into his palm while she held his hand. “Logan has the other.”

Hesh looked at her when she released his hand and put hers into her lap and sat quietly. He then looked at the tag in his hand and blinked. His fingers rubbed the tag like hers did and he just continued to stare at them.

“I am sorry about the delay but… there were some things to take care of and…”

She never got to finish since she was pulled into a hug. It surprised her not in a bad way. It just caught her off guard. She automatically wrapped her own arms around his body and embraced him. It was rather forward of her in her opinion but it felt right as she reached up and began to caress his hair. She then said softly, “I was told once that we all leave a piece of ourselves behind so that the next generation will have the benefit of the wisdom and presence of the older one. In this way, even though they are gone, they never leave us.”

Hesh held her in the embrace for a little while longer before releasing her. The tag was clenched in his fist and while feeling the pain of loss, it wasn’t as sharp as before. He sat back and gestured with the tag, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The conversation sounded very polite but a lot was said in the silence and simplest of words. Hesh undid his tags and strung his dad’s tag on so all three clicked together. By then Sequoia had put down what she had brought in and he recognized his shotgun that he had retrieved from the house in San Diego. It was cleaned and oiled and ready to go. It was like she thought of everything and… He put his tags back around his neck. Looking at her, Hesh knew he had to tell her. He swallowed and began, “Hawk…”

“Thečhíȟila,” she said a bit fast, interrupting him.

Hesh blinked at what Sequoia just said. He was used to hearing her speak Sioux so it wasn’t the language that was strange. It was what she said. Looking at her face, he saw the blush that crept up. Did she? “What did you say?”

Sequoia felt her face start to burn. She knew what she had said and… She went with impulse and it came out. Now Hesh wanted to know and she couldn’t lie. Not about that considering it was the truth. She would just have to say it and then… “Thečhíȟila… I love you.”

It took a second for it to register in Hesh’s mind what she just said. The shock was more from the fact that she came out and said it. She said that she loved him. It made his heart feel light and his moodiness slipped away. Seeing she was still blushing and he knew that would turn to panic if he didn’t say anything… He reached out and caressed her cheek and said, “I love you.”


	29. Chapter 29

It is amazing how the mind could switch gears rapidly. Kids were the most visible in that regard since they have a tendency to wear their emotions on their sleeves. For adults, it could be perceived as strange or weird or the person was a coldhearted ass. For two people who understood the importance of the job that laid before them, it was understandable and there was truth to the fact that the eyes said much.

_All call signs: Federation forces have entered our area!_

Sequoia grabbed the Honey Badger she picked and locked and loaded and checked that her spare rifle, hand gun and her standard issue gear were in place. The last thing she touched was her tomahawk and she tapped the head before leaving her room. This time she was wearing a K-pot since she was taking no chances and she sensed that things were going to be more explosive than usual. The feeling she had about Rorke, it was also heavy so no chances.

Sighing she started off. She had woken up in Hesh’s arms like she did ever since they arrived on the Liberator and they shared a kiss before going to their respective places to gear up. They each had the thought that there was a possibility that they might not see each other again but they both felt good in that they were able to share their feelings. They had spent the night in bed with her resting her head on his chest and listening to his heart beat and he stroked her hair talking about nothing related to the what was going to happen. Instead it was about all the things before ODIN. They talked until they went to sleep each telling the other they loved each other.

Now the call to battle had been sounded. Sequoia made her way through the ship and barged into the boys’ room where she saw Logan putting on his mask. “Showtime Sungmanitu,” she said with a nod.

Logan pulled the mask into place and took in her appearance. It was a little strange to see her wearing a K-pot along with her painted face like she had done so many times previously. Yet it was Hawk and she was ready to go like he was. He nodded and checked to make sure that hand ax she gave him was there. If they went all in then he was taking everything he had to the fight. He felt the three tags clink against his chest underneath his uniform and he looked at her.

It had been a surprise that she even had them when she pulled them out of her pocket. He had to ask how she even had them. She explained how she pulled them off Elias’ body after Rorke hit her. At the time she said it felt important that she take them even if she didn’t know why. Logan suspected that she said that to hide the fact that she was doing what was in her nature and that was to look out for others. Then again because she did that so often it was natural and considering what happened when they escaped…

Logan took one and asked her to give the other Hesh and that was after she said that Elias would never leave him completely. Maybe it seemed that the timing was off but to Logan it was the right time. He had apprehensions about the mission and what he and his brother had been planning and her words seemed to make things seem all right. It gave him strength to pull on the mask that was once his father’s. He said, “Got your back Hawk.”

At that moment they were joined by Hesh who took in his brother’s appearance and that of Sequoia’s. Logan saw something pass between them silently and he knew. He knew that they finally said what they wanted to say to each other. They could do this. Hesh said, “Come on. Let’s go.”

Logan took up the rear following Sequoia as she followed Hesh. The people they passed paused only briefly since they were on the move to their stations. They were three Ghosts and they were on a mission. They weren’t going to stop until it was done.

Hesh was saying, “We’ve got to help them clear the deck then find transportation to the Ground Array.”

It was like running through a maze through the narrow corridors of the carrier but the trio ran through them with practiced ease. It was the impression given as they passed the crew members and other troopers. Logan made sure that his gun was set once more even though he had checked before he left his room.

_We are being boarded! Repeat- all hands to stations, we are being boarded!_

“If they get the satellites operational, they can hit us anywhere, anytime,” Hesh said to convey the urgency of the situation. “They’ll wipe us out.”

“ODIN will not happen again,” Sequoia said. It was low but both Walker boys heard it along with the determination that was laced in her voice. She was serious and it showed in her demeanor as she followed Hesh up the stairs to the deck. “They will not repeat ODIN.” She then muttered something in Sioux.

“We hold them off and deliver the invasion force,” Hesh said turning back slightly to make sure that Logan heard him. They all knew the mission but as before, to hear it given again made sure the objectives were carried out.

“Tangos on deck,” Sequoia shouted as she brought up her rifle. The distance was still too far but it was better to be safe than sorry.

_Hornets are in the air. I repeat. Hornets are in the air._

The deck was littered with the aircraft that was needed for the battle plan and there were men running around. Ground crews, pilots, soldiers both friendly and hostile were sweeping the deck to get to where they needed to go in order to do their jobs. Men were already down from being fired upon and the deck was becoming splattered with the blood. Sparks were flying and the sounds of gunfire were in the air as the enemy troops were attempting to board and were meeting resistance. Sequoia took aim and took down a couple of Feds. It was like being back in the trenches.

She aimed through her sights and caught sight of what they needed. She said, “Osprey’s near the rear elevator.”

Hesh nodded and replied, “Let’s clear a path. Hawk we need a juggernaut. Take point and we’ll flank.”

“Roger,” Sequoia replied and took point. She didn’t have to look behind her to know that Hesh and Logan were following close behind. The advantage was that they could take cover behind the fighters. The bad thing was that they were full of fuel or refueling and a stray spark meant fire and fire meant explosions. So it was a tightrope act as they pushed forward to provide assistance.

Since she was on point she could see what was going down first. She also spotted a few who tried to flank them and took them out. The key was to stay low and take cover. It wasn’t like a perfect formation of birds since that was not feasible. Still there was some semblance of structure and it caught on with the other soldiers that joined them. They fell into line and covered the flanks as they rallied behind the three Ghosts.

Sequoia merely pushed forward as she took out what her quick eyes could see. She never resented the fact that Merrick always put her on eyes and ears on missions. It was one of her better skills along with the fact that because she was a silent observer, she picked up more on what she was hunting during the mission. Looking ahead she spotted more hostiles and said, “Hostiles landing on the rear deck.”

The amount of enemy fire increased and it was possible to cut them down since they were clustered together like that. Hesh called out, “Break! Take cover!”

Sequoia took refuge behind one of the service carts that ran on the deck. She could hear the bullets ping around her as she reloaded her Honey Badger with the optical red dot sight. Her other rifle was a SCAR suppressed sniper rifle. Before he left, Keegan showed her how to work with it and suggested that it might work in a pinch. She wasn’t going to use it unless she had to like Hesh wouldn’t use his shotgun unless he had an advantage with it.

She frowned as she listened to the bullets whizzing by. She pivoted and peered around and fired at a couple of hostiles. Her eyes were narrowed as she pulled back to take cover. She drew fire and forced them to come out. She knew they were being taken out by Logan and Hesh and whoever else was there with them.

“Regroup on me!”

The gunfire had been reduced with everyone taking them out. There were still plenty of enemy boots on the deck but not as many as before. Sequoia looked up at the sky and listened. They were probably regrouping for another assault. That would give them time to get into position for it. She got up from her cover and proceeded to rally near where Hesh was. She took a kneeling position before turning to listen to the conversation.

“How long until the Osprey is up and functional,” Hesh questioned the ground crew chief Cpl. Weaver.

Weaver reported, “We’re loading her now. She’ll be airborne and ready in two mikes.”

Hesh nodded before looking at Logan and saying, “Grab the targeting controls. We need to direct the drops.”

Logan nodded and picked up the controls. He examined them and made sure they were ready to go before putting them on his person. He gave a thumbs up that everything was good and turned towards Weaver as he said, “She’ll come back around on tight runs. Just be ready to mark those targets.”

Sequoia stood up to follow the group as Weaver was giving instructions. She pivoted to look around as Hesh replied, “We need transport to join the assault force hitting the Ground Array.”

“Yes, sir. Choppers are inbound but it’ll be ten plus before…”

Hesh cut off the corporal, “Just get me that transport.” He didn’t mean to sound rude but they had a job to do and that was to defend the carrier and then join the ground assault. He shook his head slightly after Weaver left to carry out his orders until his gaze caught Sequoia’s.

Sequoia gave a slight nod. Her expression was stoic but her eyes carried understanding. She was basically saying that they were on the mission. Everyone got that and they would do their jobs as long as they did theirs. Suddenly she put her hand to her ear to her receiver.

_All squads, we have incoming Federation zodiacs to the north._

Sequoia signaled, “Port side, go.” She pointed in the direction they were to go.

“Logan, get to the side of the ship,” Hesh shouted as he started running. “Let’s go. They’re trying to board the ship! Take out the zodiacs!”

It was a sprint jog to the side of the ship. Already zodiacs were lining along the side and it looked like they were trying to shoot lines up to board. Sequoia held her rifle as she approached and held her hand up as she got the transmission. She relayed, “Ordinance is loaded. Osprey is ready for takeoff.”

She saw the hostiles climbing up and slung down her rifle and pulled out her tomahawk. She twirled it in her hand before starting forward with firm strides. It certainly startled the Fed bastard she surprised when she used it to brush aside their gun and she gave a hard left. The Fed lost his balance and actually dropped down on top of his fellow soldiers allowing her to drop a grenade and cutting the rope. There were more approaching the ship and she pulled out her pistol and shot at the drivers before switching the tomahawk to her left.

_Osprey is one minute out._

_Be advised, ten plus enemy water craft approaching the Carolina from the east._

More were boarding the ships. Hesh fired at a few of the zodiacs and shouted, “Take out the ropes!” He lined up with Logan to try and take out as many Feds as they could while trying to hit the zodiacs so they were down.

Sequoia lowered her rifle and sprinted. She could see more zodiacs heading towards the bow of the Liberator. She ran along the edge and started cutting the ropes allowing Hesh, Logan and the others to shoot at the remaining Feds while she ran to intercept. She put her blade back into the spare loop on her left and brought her rifle up to continue firing while pausing enough to wait for Hesh and Logan.

“Damn. I heard Echo Three was fast but that was lightning.”

Hesh gave a glare at the soldier who said that. It wasn’t the time or the place but he couldn’t help himself. He was hers and she was his. Part of it was also that she was under his command and he didn’t tolerate disrespect. Mostly it was because of his being the possessive male and he knew that. So he said nothing but followed and did his job with Logan. He did notice his brother shoot a few glares at solders that looked at her sideways so he wasn’t alone in that.

_All squads, additional Federation forces incoming from the North._

_Hostile gunboats incoming._

_Titan Three-One is ready for a bombing run on your mark._

Logan had the controls out before Hesh told him to call it in and target the boats. He flipped it on expertly, “Calling it in. Titan Three-One marking targets for run.”

_Titan Three-One starting our run._

Sequoia was shooting at the zodiacs and cutting the ropes as they tried to board. She was flanked by a couple of regular soldiers. She was bumped hard and almost went over until she was grabbed by her utility belt and she heard, “Whoa there. Can’t let a Ghost go overboard now!”

She turned since she recognized the voice and came face to face with a dirt smeared face and asked, “Harris?”

Private Rafe Harris blinked as he stared at the Ghost he saved from being knocked overboard. It couldn’t be… could it? He had been told… “Sarge?”

Sequoia couldn’t believe it. Harris was alive and he looked like he usually did; he always looked like he had been blown up. It had been a joke that he was a magnet for the explosives. He also had a favorite weapon and that was the SPAS-12 shotgun which he used much like Carol preferred the M4 or her with a Honey Badger. “I thought you bought it at Santa Monica!”

“Thought I did too,” Harris replied as he pulled his shotgun out and took out a hostile that tried to board. “Turns out Potts protected me from the worst and I lived. I heard you disappeared, Sarge. Seems like you became a Ghost.”

“Fuck you, Shotgun,” Sequoia replied with a grin as she cut the rope.

_Titan Three-One inbound. Light ‘em up._

Harris grinned just as the Osprey came flying through delivering its payload on the gunboats. A few incoming zodiacs flew through the air as they were hit with the payload. Sequoia followed its flight path and felt a surge of pride at Logan’s targeting skills. She had been impressed with the A-10 drones in Santa Monica and he had shown her how they could sync up with Riley when they needed him to do a job.

_Multiple boats confirmed hit._

_Good run. Coming back around... Titan Three-One is in position._

_Zodiacs, down… multiple hits!_

It lightened up the attack but there were still more coming. Sequoia finished firing at one and took a look at the horizon. She could make out the tiny dots on the water and the larger ones that were inbound. “Hesh, more zodiacs inbound,” she called over the comms.

_Roger I see them. Take them out!_

_Titan Three-One online, making our approach._

_Take out those zodiacs!_

Sequoia aimed her Honey Badger and she was covered by Harris as they took out the zodiacs that were closest. She narrowed her eyes as she aimed down her sights and took out the drivers. Harris was using the SPAS to blast through the ropes. It was unconventional but it worked.

_Titan Three-One is ready for another bombing run._

Sequoia looked to see Logan directing the guns to the targets and then looked to the sky while Harris covered. She then spotted it and called in, “Command we’ve a Fed gunship in the AO.”

_Copy that. All squads be advised a federation Gunship is in the AO._

_Yankee 1-1, Fed gunship is hammering the Carolina! Re-tasking your squad!_

Sequoia didn’t bother firing at the gunship and there weren’t too many more zodiacs. The rest of the squads could take them out. She made her way back to Logan and Hesh with Harris close behind. She fired at any Feds that managed to make it on-board but for the most part it was mop up. The biggest concern was that gunship in the AO. “Hesh, the gunship is in the AO.”

Hesh looked at the soldier that was accompanying Sequoia but didn’t say anything about it. It was clear she wasn’t making a deal over it and he shouldn’t either. They were in the middle of a battle and they were going to get into deep shit if they didn’t better their odds. He nodded, “We’ve got to get the missile launcher online and take down that gunship!”

There were explosions coming from the gunship as it hit the carrier. Sequoia looked in the direction the shells were coming from and said, “Let’s go then. We don’t have much time.”

Hesh turned and led the way followed by Logan and then Sequoia. Harris took up the rear. While he was supposed to be covering the deck, he was still loyal to his CO from Echo Team. He was willing to follow her into anything and he trusted that she would do the right thing even if it seemed like it was the wrong thing or the crazy thing. She completed the job but she would also do what it took to make sure she could get most if not all her men back alive. He readied his SPAS and checked to make sure the MTAR was still on him and followed covering the flank.

The deck was hit by shells. One was enough to jolt the deck and they fell or almost fell. Logan fell on his arm and it jolted since he was still holding his rifle. He was grabbed on his shoulder and hauled to his feet by Sequoia. She teased him saying, “I’m beginning to think that you fall on purpose.”

Logan gave a mock scowl and replied, “Yes I so enjoy getting my ass near blown up and falling down.”

“It’s one of your better and endearing qualities,” Sequoia replied back.

“Get out of the open, follow me!” Hesh was waving his hand to get the attention of Logan and Sequoia. They started running and when he was sure that they were on their way, he started running to lead the way. He vaulted over a ledge and slid down the hole where the shell left a gaping hole in the carrier. It was a risk but they had to get to the missile launcher.

Logan and Sequoia followed vaulting over the edge where Hesh had disappeared. Logan slid on his back while Sequoia slid on her side. She held her Honey Badger in her right and used her left arm to control her slide. Behind them was Harris with his SPAS-12 out and ready to go. Sequoia though was focused on getting to the other side of the gaping hole.

At the right moment, she pushed off with her left and flew forward. She used her legs to give her the momentum she needed while she swung her gun into position and fired. Aiming through the sights, she squeezed the trigger and hammered down the few Feds that were there. She was aware that Logan and Hesh were firing as well since she could hear the distinct sounds of their guns firing. Her eyes though were forward as she took out a Fed with a head shot.

The ground of the deck was coming up on them and Sequoia flung her rifle aside so it would dangle from its strap. She landed on the balls of her feet and with her momentum, she tucked and rolled while pulling out her pistol and holding it out to look for other Feds that might be littering the deck. Her eyes were narrowed as they would be for the hunt.

Hesh had landed and did a stumble run forward but he was on his feet and firing at the Feds that were there. He almost hit Harris when the man landed next to him with a grunt. He said, “Close call.”

“I agree,” Harris replied. He held up his SPAS and looked around to make sure there was a clear path to the rig.

Hesh in the meantime shouted to Logan, “Grab the rig and paint the targets. I’ll cover you.”

Logan ran to the rig and removed the dead controller from where he had fallen. Sequoia had followed to take view point. He heard her say, “Come on Logan.”

“Coming bossy Hawk,” he muttered as he brought the rig online.

Sequoia squinted as she searched the sky. She shouted, “Federation gunship, twelve o’clock.”

“There it is! Federation gunship!”

Logan could see it on his view screen. The trick was to get it within his sights and lead the target a bit. He had plenty of practice when coordinating the drones and any other remote aircraft. The hardest part was making sure that you got it before they had a chance to deploy countermeasures.

“Federation gunship has deployed flare!” Hesh’s voice rang out over the gunfire and the screaming of air ships.

“Fucking shit,” Logan muttered to himself. He hated it when they did that. He moved the rig to target the ship again. They had to take that son of a bitch out. He watched his screen and said, “The gunship is circling around! I’m going to concentrate on the choppers.”

Logan focused on the choppers. By firing on them he was giving the guys on deck a chance and it certainly was a sight to see when they hit the dirt or in this case splashed. He heard his brother shout that the gunship was making another run and gave the location. He turned the rig and it was in his sights. He had to get this bastard before they thought about deploying flares. He took aim and fired.

There was some smoke and Logan waited until Sequoia called, “Good hit! Gunship damaged!”

“Fucking A,” Logan said more to himself as he grinned. It was a damaging hit but that was good and he could take it out the next time it came around. At the moment he targeted the incoming helicopters and took them out. He was ready for the gunship as it made ready for another run. He would get this guy. He took aim and fired.

“You got ‘em!” Sequoia’s voice was heard. She then called on the comm, “Command, Federation gunship is down. I repeat Federation gunship is down!”

_Copy that. Transports are away and inbound to the Ground Array._

Logan had logged off and ended up falling off the platform. He looked up at Sequoia and said, “Shut up,” with a grin before getting to his feet and picking up his rifle. The hard part was done. Now they had to get down to boots on the ground.

“Nice shooting Logan. The carrier is safe. Time to join the main assault,” Hesh said as he started the climb up to the main deck.

_NORAD has multiple inbound RODS entering the atmosphere. The satellites are operational. All hands brace for impact! Alert impact!_

Sequoia had barely made it up when the RODS hit. Harris was still on the ladder. It was instinct to grab his hand and haul him up. Now they were running for their lives towards the chopper.

_Need a little help cousin?_


	30. Chapter 30

_Hesh, you’ll lead a team to seize control of their Command Center and launch a missile at their ground array. Rorke could be in the area but this takes priority._

_Ghost Team active. Repeat Ghosts are en route._

_This is Eagle 1-1 approaching target with Ghost Team._

Sequoia squatted in the chopper with Hesh on her right and Logan manning the minigun on her left. Harris was in there as well. They had to make a run for it once it was realized that the satellites were fully operational. The carrier was in bad shape and tilting on its side sending debris, planes and men down to the ocean. She couldn’t count how many times she was sliding as she ran towards the chopper.

The chopper was waiting for them and she could hear shouts on the radio that the chopper needed to pull up but the pilot was refusing until the Ghosts were on board. It was a major surprise when she found out that their pilot was Skye. There wasn’t much time to think about it since they had to get on. Hesh pulled her on-board while Logan pulled Harris in.

While on the chopper Harris introduced himself and asked if they needed a hand. Hesh said, “Sounds like you’re already giving one Harris.”

She explained that Harris was Echo Four. Logan was all for an extra pair of hands especially, as he put it, if it was one of the guys led by the badass Echo Three. Hesh looked like he needed some convincing but she sensed that there were other things on his mind. Still she gave him a pat on his forearm while she checked and made sure she had a full set of ammo for her gun. He returned the gesture with a look that appeared stern because of the war paint but his eyes held his meaning.

The call came over the line that the tank battalion did their jobs and the air defense to the facility was down. That meant they could go in. Hesh looked at Logan and said, “Launch facility ahead. We secure the control room and launch the federation missile on the target site.”

Logan wheeled the minigun around to get into position. Sequoia looked out at the site. Her gut was doing its thing again. Rorke was there. She knew it. As she stared at what looked like the main control tower, she could hear Rorke almost taunting in her ear and she remembered her last encounter with the man.

_Little Charlie… consider this your true test. I look forward to seeing you win. I’m sure you’ll make Charlie proud._

_Rorke was there with the rain pouring down, his face streaked with mud much like that of a Ghost. He was grinning at her, taunting her, “Little Charlie… this is what it comes down to. Just you and me. You think it was just about Elias?_

_Hesh, this is Merrick. Latest intel has confirmed that Rorke is at the facility, but you have to get that missile launched first._

“Understood,” Hesh’s voice interrupted her musings, “Hesh out.”

At that moment Logan began firing at the enemy. RPGs were on the roof and resistance was firing from the control room. He swerved the gun to take out the threat on the roof. He fired on the building showing no mercy. They had to take out the threat.

_Nine o’clock Logan. Take em out!_

Logan gladly did Skye’s bidding. He had been surprised that she was the transport they were to take. He had really never thought that they would see each other again since she was doing her thing as a pilot and she had her assignments. He hadn’t really thought much about her except that she had teased him and he never came up with a good rejoinder. Since then his focus had been on pushing his best friend and brother together and then what happened with his dad… Maybe when this was over…

“Logan,” Sequoia’s voice came over and she patted his arm.

Logan swerved the gun and aimed and fired. He managed a glance and noticed that Sequoia had switched rifles. She was taking aim and firing at what he had missed. A couple of times it looked like she and Hesh moved in sync with the way they turned and aimed. Her movements were more like a bird’s as she adjusted her position and fired.

_Coming up on drop point._

“Jump!”

Logan watched as Hesh leapt out of the chopper and landed into the control room. He was followed by Sequoia who literally flew across the gap. She really did live up to her name. She was that graceful on her feet. Harris was next and he was last. He made sure he was free and leapt forward. He landed on the upper level and used the rail to halt his momentum and steady his balance. He brought his gun up and they made to clear the room in their mop up.

_Ghosts have been inserted. Troops on the ground._

“Target two o’clock!”

Sequoia had switched back to her Honey Badger and was aiming and firing at what was left in the control room. She saw a couple more guards coming in and pulled a grenade. She cooked it before throwing it and warning that she had one out. The explosion that followed kicked up some dust and papers. There were a few screams and the sounds of silence. Hesh looked at her and she said, “I know how cook.”

Hesh wanted to laugh at that. He always had since her sense of humor was strange in the middle of a battle. All soldiers were trained in the equipment they used but it seemed that she knew how to mess with explosives like it was a craft. That and when she wanted to she could show off with her shooting much like what she did on the carrier. He merely nodded though and checked. They were clear and he led the way while relaying, “Merrick, we’ve entered the target building proceeding to the launch control room.”

_Copy Actual._

It was like a jaunt as they ran down the stairs and through the building. There were a couple of stragglers that they managed to take out as they made their way to launch control. They made their way to the door and paused to listen since there were voices on the other side and quite a few of them meaning large numbers. Hesh saw the fire extinguisher and had an idea. He looked at his brother and Sequoia, “Time to improvise.”

Hesh pulled the extinguisher off the wall while Sequoia switched to the SCAR. She held it ready while Logan gripped the handle and said, “On your go.”

Logan nodded and they pushed on the door to open it. Hesh tossed the extinguisher into the middle of a group of Feds while Sequoia aimed down her sights. She gave a well-placed shot and the extinguisher exploded from the heat and pressure. It knocked the remaining Feds off balance and sent some debris in their way. Logan looked to see Sequoia still standing and recovering from protecting her face. It seemed good that she wore a K-pot like Hesh this time around. “Damn Hawk.”

“I got eyes like one,” she replied with a grin as she moved forward to make sure that they were down. She took out a couple that were still moving but their injuries were too severe. They wouldn’t make it and it wasn’t like they would show mercy if it was the other way around.

“You should have seen her at Santa Monica. Before we had to pull back…” Harris gave a slight shake and a shrug of being impressed. He checked his corners and covering the flank.

“I believe you,” Logan replied as he checked as well. “Only I saw it without the explosions.”

Harris looked at Logan and they shared a grin. They were both of the same opinion that Sequoia was more than meets the eye. She may be quiet but her actions when put to the test really shone. They liked her because she may appear to be tough but deep down she was a person who cared and put up a façade to protect those feelings. Logan saw it the moment she interacted with Hesh and his big brother stuck his foot in it. Harris liked her because she wasn’t afraid of taking a hit. He looked at Logan and replied, “You’re lucky.”

“Merrick, Launch Room secure,” Hesh’s voice rang out as he came back to the main control.

That was the signal for Logan and Harris to regroup on Hesh. They took up defensive positions once they realized that Sequoia was there next to Hesh and studying the screens. Harris gave a bump to Logan and asked a query with his gaze. Logan for his part could play dumb but he got the feeling that this guy they picked up was not the kind to spread rumors or anything like that. Still he would protect his brother’s business with Sequoia. He gave a shrug of his shoulders and signaled that more likely it was two leaders butting heads. It was not true except that it was in the beginning.

Hesh in the meantime was making the configuration changes while Sequoia held out the codes. She was not an expert on tech like Hesh was but she had been given the codes by Merrick. The unspoken thing was that it was backup just in case something happened. She looked at the screens and noted the satellites on the ground; things were looking good.

“Command, trajectory updated, preparing to launch warhead,” Hesh called it in after he finished what he was doing. He knew that once this was done, he was going to end up doing the unthinkable. In his mind though this was the only way.

“Hesh, look at this,” Sequoia pointed out on the screen. She had noticed movement on the screen and a few shapes.

Hesh’s thoughts were interrupted as he looked at the screens. Dammit. He added, “Be advised, the area is covered by multiple V75 Mantis Turrets.”

_Understood, sending Badger battalion to clear the way, Command out._

Hesh made his way over to the actual launch control. There was certainly a good view of what they were going to see. That didn’t mean that he felt any better. The clock was ticking down to what he and Logan were going to do once this was done. He knew that she heard Merrick over the wire about intel saying that Rorke was there and he had noticed her tense up. It wasn’t in the way one did when they were going to meet someone that scared the crap out of them. It was more of a look she got when she was remembering something and when she was listening and calculating her next move. She was intending to do the same thing and go after the man.

He couldn’t let that happen but he also couldn’t let her know that he was determined to do that. So he largely ignored it to a degree and agreed with Merrick that the priority was to launch the warhead. She knew him and she knew that he wanted the man dead but she would insist like Merrick the mission was priority. Of course though he learned that she could occasionally spring a surprise on him so he was wary of what she might do. It didn’t help that her old teammate Harris tagged along but maybe it would still work.

He looked at Sequoia who was by the button and said, “Let’s launch this thing.”

Sequoia took in Hesh’s look with a nod and flipped open the cover that covered the red button. She had a ridiculous question go through her mind about why the button always had to be red. She remembered the button for the suppression system on the platform was the same color so it was just a seemingly random thing. She pressed her thumb to the button and pushed all her weight down on it.

There was a loud rumbling and noise coming from the field below. The launch doors opened and the missile began to emerge with the rumbling of its rockets firing. The vibrations she could feel in her feet as it rumbled to liftoff. She blinked with an almost impassive look but it hid the fact that they managed to launch it and give the Federation a hard blow.

“Command payload is away, we have a successful launch,” Hesh replayed to command.

_Command copies all. Good work, gentleman._

Hesh took a breath as he looked around. They had about eight minutes to impact. He then heard something and went to check it out. He listened to the comms off of a dead Fed that had probably been killed when they did the flyby and reported, “You hear this? It’s Rorke. He’s here. They’re evacuating on the train system below.”

“Then we should head for it,” Sequoia offered. “The missile is away and we’ve done our end.”

Hesh shot a quick look at Logan who began to move in a non-suspicious manner. Hesh stood up and relayed to Merrick, “Merrick, the missile’s away and we’ve got a lead on Rorke. We’re going after him.”

_Negative Hesh. Return to rally point. We’ll track him down together._

“Merrick, the mission is complete,” Sequoia said as she turned her back on Hesh, missing the look. “We are taking it.” She didn’t hear what was replied when she found her wrist gripped tight and a zip tie fastened around it. “What the..?

Hesh expected the struggle and was ready for it. He hadn’t forgotten their sparring session and the fact she had almost clocked him a couple of times. He pinned her against the console and tightened the zip tip on her wrist and put the other on a loop on the control panel and tightened it. He muttered, “I’m sorry Hawk.”

“What the fuck are you doing?” Sequoia struggled against the zip tie. She was angry that he would do this and managed to give Hesh a hard punch in the chest when he took her tomahawk and knife and placed it just out of reach. “Hesh, this is isn’t funny you bastard.”

Hesh took the punch in his chest. In his mind he deserved it. “I can’t let you come.”

“The hell to that. Cut me loose,” she demanded. She looked for Harris but found him unconscious and a totally apologetic Logan. They were both in on this. “Cut me loose now or there will be hell to pay for the both of you. You think I’m a bitch now…”

Hesh had motioned for Logan to give them some space. He looked at Sequoia and repeated, “I can’t let you come, Hawk. Please try…”

“Sonofabitch don’t you fucking dare…” She struggled against the zip ties and her wrists were turning red.

Hesh knew this was going to be hard. He felt her punching his arm and trying to kick him as he gently grasped her chin. She didn’t pull away so that was a good sign. He said, “I won’t let him get you. I’m sorry for this and it pains me to do it but I am doing this for you because I love you. Please try to understand that.” He gave her gentle kiss on her lips even though she punched and kicked him in the process and he turned with Logan leaving her behind screaming at him.

“She’ll forgive you bro,” Logan offered.

“I don’t blame her if she didn’t. Let’s get this done.”

****

_Dad taught us many things but one lesson always stood out... Good men are defined by the choices they make. Sequoia said the same thing. Logan and I made a choice… a promise. To the fallen Ghosts before us. To Dad. And to make sure that she is safe from Rorke. We would fight him and stop him no matter the cost. I pray that one day she would forgive me for what we are about to do…_

_All personnel secure cargo and supplies…_

Hesh stared at the screen and said, “Tell Rorke we’re coming for him.” He didn’t look at Logan because if he did, he would be reminded of the horrible thing he did to the woman he loved.

_Why don’t you just tell me yourself? And bring Little Charlie along too._

Hesh narrowed his eyes. He didn’t know it but to Logan he looked like he was a Ghost and in the most terrifying way. His attention was on Rorke. The bastard that hunted Ghosts and was out not to hunt her but to capture her… “You’re done Rorke,” he said in a low and menacing tone. Then quickly he punched the monitor, smashing it with all his anger and temper. He looked at Logan and said, “Let’s finish this.”

Logan nodded, “Right with you brother.” He loaded a new clip and followed his brother. He wasn’t going to argue or do or say anything. His brother was already emotionally high strung and he knew it was better to let him focus that anger or temper on the goal at hand. He would have his brother’s back.

The best way to get to Rorke was to run along the outside of the train. It was the quickest and direct route and they didn’t have to worry about opening doors. Logan followed his brother and noted that Hesh seemed to have gotten his second wind. Then again it was probably better not to think about what he had just done in the name of protecting the woman he loved. The thing was Logan was in agreement with Hesh. Even though it was shitty… he knew it was right to do it. It had been hard to knock out Harris like he did but he knew that he couldn’t interfere.

“Rorke must be at the front of the train!”

Logan focused on the mission at hand. He knew deep down that this was one he and Hesh would probably not come back from. That was why Hesh put the leash on her. It was important to him that she was alive. He didn’t quite understand it since love like that… Well he knew Dad would do the same but that was the parent-child love. This was different.

They had contact with hostiles and it was damn hard to shoot while on a moving vehicle. You did the best you could and made the compensation. Logan certainly did when he took out the sniper that would have gotten Hesh. His brother didn’t see it and he was in danger of being hit from his right side but Logan did and he gave him a sting that he wouldn’t forget.

They pushed forward through the moving cars. During a particularly hard turn, Hesh ended up slipping and Logan reached out to steady him. It was a good thing too since a little harder and Hesh would have fallen off. It seemed to Logan that either Rorke was scared or he was really pushing it to try and see what they would do. He was inclined to think the latter and he figured Sequoia would feel the same. “Shit that was close,” he said.

They pushed forward through the cargo cars. Hesh led the way with a determined air but he didn’t forget Logan. He waited for him to move up before moving. They may be all in on this but he wasn’t stupid and pulling the lone wolf crap. He and Logan were in this together. He saw that it was too much time to go through the cars, “Logan, we’ll get to Rorke faster on the rooftops.”

“Roger,” Logan replied following Hesh up to the roof.

It was easier running on the rooftops but it also had them in the open for enemy helicopters. Logan and Hesh fired on the choppers to bring them down or take out the pilots. Hesh shouted that they needed to take out the gunners. That was their game plan and Logan aimed for the gunners. Hesh was doing the same and trying to get anyone else that was trying to get to the guns.

“Move it! The car’s compromised!”

An explosion had knocked a car off its tracks. Logan knew that if he was still on it, he would be in deep shit. He broke into a fast run; it was probably the fastest he had ever run, and headed for the uncompromised car that Hesh was on. Briefly he wondered if that was how Sequoia felt on the platform where she had almost been left behind. It certainly qualified as one of those moments. He made it through but their troubles were just beginning.

Feds were roped up the sides. That was just perfect but Logan knew he and Hesh could take them out. They were smart when it came to two man tag. A ricochet sent debris flying and it hit Logan in the face over his left eye on the brow. It stung and he was probably sporting a new cut. It didn’t matter. They had to press forward and he had been in worse situations. Hell he was the punching bag pretty much on missions. He risked a couple of grenades and it seemed to work since it allowed them to press forward.

They made it to the engine car. The man was pinned and he knew they were coming. Hesh knew that they needed to have a contingency plan. He called in, “Merrick do you copy?”

_Copy Hesh._

Hesh knew this was it. “We’re moving in on Rorke. If you hear the word ‘Checkmate’, you will fire on our position. Confirm.”

_Say again, repeat your last._

“You heard me, Merrick. On ‘checkmate’ hit this train.” He cut off the transmission and looked at Logan. “We can’t take any chances.”

Logan nodded in the affirmative, “Solid copy big brother.” He grasped Hesh’s forearm like they always did when they were all in. “Even if we fail… Rorke dies.” He gave a firm look of assurance and willingness even though the mask covered his features.

Hesh nodded as he held Logan’s forearm. “All in.”

“All in.”

“Okay. Three, two, one…”

They burst in firing and hit the engines while taking out the Feds that were guarding Rorke. Logan felt himself flying through the air as he pulled out his 44. He saw Rorke in his sights and grabbed the man while taking out the Feds in the vicinity. He had pounced on the bastard and almost had him until he got a head butt to the face along with a right hook and he was down. The next thing he knew, he was in a headlock and Rorke was pointing the 44 at Hesh and demanding that he drop his gun. Then there was the click and the barrel was pressed against his temple. He looked at Hesh.

Hesh stared at Logan in his compromised position. If he fired, there was no guarantee that Logan wouldn’t get hit. Sometimes when one died the trigger got pulled. It depended on where they were hit and… He saw Logan looking at him with complete trust in his eyes. If they took down Rorke, then it was going to be on their terms. He dropped his gun saying, “You can’t win Rorke. It’s over.”

Logan knew that Hesh wouldn’t risk shooting through him to hit Rorke. Perhaps it was because of what happened with Dad and more likely because he was shooting at his brother and apart from her getting harmed, anything that he did to hurt his brother… Hesh would wait until there was no choice left and use the last resort. He was ready for it.

There was a bang and Hesh went down gripping his abdomen. Logan struggled as Rorke came forward and kicked Hesh in the chest sending him careening into a control panel. He saw red starting to bloom and knew Hesh had been hit bad. He would bleed out if they didn’t finish this. Then again would they still be alive?

That didn’t matter as Rorke dragged him forward and pressed his gun to Hesh’s head. Logan saw the pain in his brother’s eyes but he also saw the fierce determination. He was going to do it and he braced himself for the opportunity.

“Checkmate,” Hesh breathed.

_Checkmate confirmed._

“What was that? What did you do?” Rorke demanded an answer from Hesh, still pointing the gun.

Hesh looked defiantly at Rorke and spat, “You lost Rorke,” just as a light came straight at them. He started defiantly even though he was more likely done for. “It’s over.”


	31. Chapter 31

Hesh felt the bullet pierce his abdomen and it hurt like a bitch. He had been shot before but this one hit him good. He could tell and he was going to bleed out slowly and probably painfully. That didn’t matter as he was kicked hard in the chest and his body slammed into the control panel. The next thing he knew he had the barrel of a gun pressed against his temple as he struggled to get up since his abdomen was on fire. His left was clenched against his side and it almost felt like he had no feeling so it was a struggle to even get to where he was at.

Looking at Rorke, his eyes flickered towards Logan. Though he couldn’t see the expression on his brother’s face because of the mask, he could see the trust in his eyes as well as the determination. He had a shot earlier even though Rorke had his brother in a headlock and with the gun pointed at his head. He probably should have taken it. The thing was he could have hit Logan and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for that. It was like being in Logan’s position with Dad but Logan was his little brother and his big brother protectiveness went into play.

His mind was still on the mission though as he stared defiantly at Rorke and gave the signal, “Checkmate.”

_Checkmate confirmed._

Hesh knew that this was it. Icarus would fire on the train with the satellite. He looked at Logan and told Rorke that it was over. He couldn’t take in the moment just yet though as the train suddenly lurched. The track ahead had been destroyed and they were going down.

The jolt was enough to free Logan from Rorke’s grasp and he managed to steady himself and keep himself from becoming a pinball in the car as they fell. Hesh wasn’t so lucky. He flailed a bit and struggled to reach Logan’s outstretched hand but he fell and hit the ceiling hard. Hesh felt his body roll a bit but that didn’t stop the pain that he felt as his limbs hit control panels and one winded him the moment the car hit the water.

Hesh hit the ground and saw Logan holding onto that hand axe Sequoia gave him. He had to give it to his brother for his quick thinking with it. It prevented him from taking the worst of the fall into the water. They couldn’t relax just yet though. Now that the car was in the water, it started to roll onto its side. Hesh fell over and hit hard while Logan managed to hold on and was vertical on the floor now the wall until his hand axe came loose and he fell with a thud.

Hesh grimaced as he moved and managed to steal a look at his wound. He saw red on his left sleeve and he could feel it as he moved. He saw the wetness of blood and he saw a few smears from when he fell and hit whatever he had hit. His breath was coming out ragged and his vision was slightly blurred from being hit upside the head. He looked forward and saw him… Rorke.

Rorke had landed in front of Hesh against the window and in front of him, Logan landed. Hesh saw his brother wince a bit and figured he hit his head. It was hard to tell since he was wearing the mask. What he could tell was that Rorke was getting up and he was pulling a gun on his little brother. With the strength he could muster, Hesh got to his feet and grabbed the nearest thing. He had to laugh inwardly at the irony that it was another fire extinguisher.

He took a swing and hit the bastard before he could shoot Logan. The adrenaline began to kick in and Hesh made a grab for the man. “Get the gun!”

It was full out fist fight as Hesh took on Rorke to buy Logan time to get the gun. He kicked the man in the side and would have countered with a punch but he himself was kicked into the wall. Hesh had never seen a man move as quickly as Rorke did. The man was on his feet and had picked him up and slammed him down on his back on the ground. It hurt like hell and didn’t help him any but rather aggravated his injuries. He didn’t have time to think about it since Rorke had pulled a knife and had dropped down on him.

Using his forearms, Hesh pushed back against Rorke’s arm as he tried to stab him. He managed to succeed in grabbing the wrist with the knife while at the same time gave a backhand to Rorke’s face. He hit as hard as he could and though he heard a crunching sound of bones breaking. He hadn’t realized that he had gripped the man’s wrist tight enough to make a vein pop. He did hear the knife clink as Rorke released it as Hesh twisted to wrench it away.

Looking to the side Hesh saw Logan get a grip on the gun. He reached into one of the pouches on his vest and grabbed what he needed even though there was clinking all over the place. The care shifted again and they slid again to land on the roof of the car. Hesh was still pinned by Rorke but he had his hand on what he needed. He saw Logan right himself and called, “Logan, here!”

Hesh sent several bullets flying in the hopes that Logan would catch at least one of them. He didn’t see if he did since Rorke delivered a hard right to his face. He took a couple of more hits to the face before he delivered the hardest punch he had ever thrown in his life at the man. It forced him back and allowed him to clamber to his feet and pounce on Rorke. The tables were turned now that he had Rorke in a headlock grip. “Do it Logan!”

Hesh held on for what seemed like an eternity. He tightened his grip when he felt Rorke struggle and then a dull throb when they man elbowed him right where he shot him. Still he didn’t let go and held on. He had to give Logan a clear shot.

“You think you’ve won?” Rorke was muttering to Hesh as he struggled. “You don’t know what it means. You think little Charlie is safe? Wait and see until I’m through with her.”

Hesh felt another throb in his abdomen from another elbow. He still didn’t let go and he wasn’t aiming to. He felt his temper rise in a cold rage when Rorke implied that he wasn’t going to stop until he had her. He wasn’t going to let that happen and shouted, “Logan do it!”

It was a searing pain that ripped through his body as he felt the bullet enter his stomach on the right and tore out his back. It was in that moment he realized that Logan had a 44 and ridiculously the specs on lethal range and power of the weapon entered his brain. He looked and saw Logan’s terror in his eyes and he knew that Logan knew that he had caught the bullet as it passed through Rorke.

There was cracking of glass but Hesh didn’t hear it as he collapsed to the ground with Rorke on top of him. The pain in his body was intense and he felt his limbs twitch slightly from the agony as his eyes shut. The last thing he heard was glass shattering and water rushing before it enveloped him. He blacked out then and water slowly began to fill his lungs.

The air hit his nostrils and Hesh found himself coughing up water and realized he was being held on his side while the water exited his mouth. It was painful when his body was being dragged across the ground and he reached out and gripped the forearm of the hand that was grabbing his vest. His vision was blurry and he couldn’t quite see who it was that was dragging him and first instincts were that it was a Fed or Rorke.

“I got you big brother,” Logan’s voice graveled in his ears. “I got you.”

Hesh relaxed a little but didn’t let go of Logan’s arm. They were alive and he could hardly believe it. He held onto his brother as Logan propped him up against one of the boulders on the beach. He tried not to wince but he was feeling every injury and the worst was coming from the two gunshots in his abdomen. He heard Logan muttering reassuring words as he was being steadied on the rock and finally saw his brother’s face since he had pulled back his mask. He managed to breathe, “You did it Logan. You did it.”

“Take it easy big brother. Call it in.”

Hesh needed the prompting and he slowly reached over with his left and keyed the radio. His vision was clearing but he felt drained. He didn’t notice that there was a trail of blood leading from him to the edge of the beach. He felt a little shaky but he thought it was more the adrenaline leaving his system as he called, “Merrick come in. Do you copy?” He adjusted himself and winced.

“Easy Hesh.”

It hadn’t dawned on Hesh that his injuries were severe and Logan was doing his best to give first aid in the field. His limbs felt heavy and he wanted to drop the radio but he forced his hand to keep a grip. He slowly blinked as he listened for confirmation.

_Hesh? Hesh is that you?_

“Yeah. I’m with Logan and we’re okay,” Hesh replied, breathing heavily.

_And Rorke?_

“He’s dead,” Hesh breathed with finality.

_Copy that. The Federation’s in full retreat. The rest of the payload is inbound to finish the job. Sit tight. Recon’s coming for you._

Hesh allowed his hand to drop from the radio. He felt exhausted as his body twitched from the sting of his injuries. He turned away the moment the payload was delivered on the Ground Array. He came face to face with his brother Logan and smiled, “I’m proud of you Logan. You did it.”

“ _We_ did it big brother,” Logan replied with a smile on his face while he moved around to check on Hesh.

It was then that Hesh noticed Logan’s face, “You’re hurt.” He frowned like it was a curious thing as he noted the scratches on his little brother’s face.

“And you finally noticed. You really are a bonehead.”

“Pain in my ass,” Hesh replied weakly. He started to close his eyes only to have his shoulder punched and hard. He opened his eyes and looked at Logan. He narrowed his eyes tiredly and growled, “What the fuck?”

“Stay with me bro. I know I’m already on her bad side. I don’t want to be on the hell side.”

Hesh blinked to make sense of what Logan was saying. It then occurred to him what he was saying and he grimaced a reply, “Fuck. She’s gonna be pissed.”

“She’ll forgive you bro. I think she likes it when you screw up because then you stop dragging your feet. Makes me wonder if she’s into angry sex.”

“Screw you, Logan.”

“Hey just kidding. Just trying to keep you awake.”

Hesh grumbled weakly. He had to admit that it was working. He pressed his right to his right side since that was where it hurt the most. “This must be payback for all the times I put a boot up your ass.”

“Nah. I’ve got a grander scheme than this.”

Hesh chuckled weakly and managed to give a punch to Logan’s shoulder but it didn’t have the zing that it usually did when they got into a brotherly spat. He looked at his brother and repeated, “I am proud of you, Logan.” He didn’t think about how it sounded to Logan; he was too tired.

“Hey, don’t quit on me Hesh. Don’t quit on her.”

Hesh turned tired eyes towards his brother and saw the worried look. He noted that Logan was actually scared and doing a good job hiding it. It dawned on him that he was injured pretty badly and his actions were not exactly reassuring. He reached out and gripped Logan’s forearm in reassurance. He wasn’t clocking out early especially since he was going to spend probably the rest of his life making it up to her. He felt Logan’s hand touch his in a pat.

They sat there together on the shore of the beach and watched as the rods came down. It was a grand display. Hesh felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. Rorke was dead. Logan had killed him. That meant that she was safe. His Hawk was safe; he kept his promise. She could be pissed at him but the most important thing was done. He sighed in relief and his head lolled back and he tried to stay awake for his brother’s sake even though he was exhausted and the pain was just intense and he tried to dull it by pressing his arm to his abdomen. His breaths were still ragged but it felt easier now until he heard footsteps.

It was like seeing a ghost when Hesh turned and saw Rorke deliver a boot into Logan’s face. He thought he heard bones crunch indicating a broken nose. He saw that Logan wasn’t giving up since he pulled his knife out only to have his right arm broken and it was all in an effort to protect him. Hesh knew he had to do something and slowly reached for his own knife and cursed the fact that his body was not responding the way he wanted. Adrenaline didn’t seem to have an on or off switch.

Hesh had his knife out and was trying to move when he heard Rorke say, “Look at what you did.” He then got a boot in his face and he collapsed to his side. It was followed by a kick to his abdomen and he could help but cry out in pain as Rorke gave him another kick. He couldn’t block so he tried to protect himself but it was too much. He felt his eyes tear up as Rorke gave him one more kick and he felt sick.

“You’re good,” Hesh heard as he tried not to be sick. The bastard was talking to Logan and he could hear every word, “You would have been a hell of a Ghost… But that’s not gonna happen. There ain’t gonna be any Ghosts. You’re gonna help me hunt for Little Charlie and then we’re gonna destroy them together.”

Hesh managed to roll after grabbing a rock to use as a weapon. He was going to do what it took. As soon as he did he saw Rorke dragging Logan away by his leg. His brother was thrashing and trying to kick himself free and grabbing for something to hold onto. Mustering up energy Hesh called out to his brother, “Logan.” He then hurled the rock and it was surprising that it made the distance for it hit Rorke right between the shoulders.

Rorke turned and actually laughed at Hesh as he tried pulling himself forward trying to reach him and his brother. He said, “I didn’t think you had it in you. Maybe if you survive this, look me up. Right now, I got me a Little Charlie to hunt.” He turned and started walking and dragging Logan who got the same idea as Hesh but unfortunate he wasn’t left handed and his rock didn’t hit where he wanted and only caused more laughter.

Hesh tried to drag himself to catch up. He grabbed another rock but the distance was getting to be too great. He had to try though. His abdomen was burning and he didn’t realize he was leaving a trail of blood on the sand. All that mattered was Logan. “LOGAN!”

Hesh felt his body give up and drop to the ground. His arm was outstretched as he tried to make himself move. His breathing was coming out in ragged breaths and his chest hurt. He looked at Rorke having a hard time since Logan wasn’t making things easier for him and his vision began to blur a little and it was then that he heard another sound; it was the pattering on the sand, like someone was running and it breezed right past him and he blinked and his eyes widened.

****

 _I am going to beat his ass black and blue when I catch up with him._ Sequoia struggled to reach with her foot towards her tomahawk and knife trying to get whichever one she could to cut herself free. The zip tie was cutting into her wrist as she stretched but it looked like Harris was out cold and she wasn’t going to wait. Something bad was going to happen and she wasn’t going to let those boneheaded Walker boys get into more trouble than was ever possible even if it was Rorke causing it.

She had screamed at Hesh and called him every foul name she could think of for doing what he did. She understood why he did it and it was a part of him that she couldn’t and didn’t want to change; it was in his nature to protect. She saw that he had done it for Logan and probably all his life when he could and she could see that he had taught his younger brother how to fend for himself when he couldn’t be there… so there was a balance he could achieve. She was more upset that he didn’t come to her and talk to her about it. Then again she would have pointed out reasons and then disobeyed orders if he made it an order. She wouldn’t let him or Logan fight this alone.

She realized too that it pained Hesh to tie her up. She didn’t like it and she rebelled angrily against it. That was part of the reason she was so angry when they escaped Rorke in Vegas. But the pain in Hesh’s eyes… he deeply regretted it. She knew that when they got back, they were going to have a serious talk about all this and that was _after_ she kicked both his and Logan’s asses into the next decade and so hard that their ancestors would feel it.

She stretched out more and barely touched her tomahawk with her boot but it fell and out of her reach. “Son of a bitch.” She leaned against the console and looked at Harris. She looked around and found something closer in her reach and picked it up. She threw it and hit the man and said, “Wake up Harris. You’ve had your beauty sleep now get your ass up.”

That worked and Harris started to stir. Sequoia waited until he was oriented enough to say, “About time.”

Harris looked at her and saw that she was tied up and remembered what had happened. The younger one Logan knocked him out the moment he saw Hesh move in to grab her. “What the fuck Sarge?”

“Ghost problems,” Sequoia allowed as she pulled even though it was futile. “Now stop asking stupid questions and cut me loose.” She had gotten on top of the panel and was squatting while trying to pull herself free as if that would help. It made her feel better.

“Yeah, yeah. Alright,” Harris said as he stumbled over with his knife out. He cut the zip tie connected to the panel and watched as Sequoia jumped off and picked up her knife and tomahawk and cut the tie on her wrist away. “Some friends.”

Sequoia shot Harris a dirty look as she put her blades back on her person and picked up her rifle. Hesh and Logan had their reasons for this. Right now she had to catch up to them because she got the feeling that they were walking into more than they knew. She ignored Harris and ran down the stairs towards where the train would have departed. She made it down just as it disappeared down the chute and she caught a glimpse of the Walker boys. She stomped her foot and abruptly turned to head back up the stairs and called, “Eagle 1-1 are you still in the area over?”

_Roger that._

Sequoia looked at Harris who was looking at her with a question in his expression. The past five years they worked together, he only gave that expression when she was about to do something that was borderline and maybe crossing the line of insubordination. She looked at the gaping hole in launch control and said, “Eagle 1-1 requesting pick up. We got a chase on our hands.”

_On whose authority?_

“Echo Three.”

It wasn’t a long wait and Sequoia was glad to see that Skye was relatively okay. They couldn’t spend much time on hellos since the payload was intended for the ground array. Plus there was such a thing as reinforcements. Once on board the chopper Sequoia directed her cousin, “Follow that train.”

_Got something planned Tahatanskah?_

“Most definitely, Wamblee,” Sequoia replied as she kept an eye out. “Enemy choppers.”

_Hold on!_

Skye managed to fire on the incoming choppers and was glad that she was in the air when the first rods were fired. She looked at her cousin who was looking at the train with a concentrated look.  She managed to get the chopper close enough for Sequoia to jump on the train but had to pull away before Harris could jump and pulled up. They lost distance and she wasn’t going to get it back. Then it came on the line…

_We’re moving in on Rorke. If you hear the word ‘Checkmate’, you will fire on our position. Confirm._

Sequoia was on the rooftops of the cars and had managed to pass by dead Fed bodies that were rolling from the inertia. One she saw with his head blown off and could tell that it was Logan’s shot. He was a quiet bookworm type but even she saw that he was a fierce fighter. She didn’t really see it except when he and Hesh scuffled like puppies or when she nearly beat Logan’s ass black and blue on the sub. She then heard Hesh’s transmission and she huffed a sigh.

It was like double timing it since she was running on a moving train on the roof and trying to catch up. That is until it lurched and she fell to her knees. She slid forward a bit and she sensed that something was wrong; like the engine was damaged or something. She managed to grab onto something but she ended up losing both her rifles in the process. The only thing she had left were her pistol and blades and the know-how on hand to hand combat.

It was a struggle to right herself since she almost fell off the train. She could make out the main car as the wind whipped through her hair. She had ditched the k-pot once she was on the train. She needed to get to that first car. That was where Rorke would be and that would mean the Walker boys too. As it were, she was hanging on for dear life since she might fall off and end up fodder for the vultures on the cliff side.

Gritting her teeth, she extended her arm to grab a hand hold. With the train moving it was difficult to get a good grip and sling her body onto the roof. She was kneeling on the top when she heard the call and then a light from the sky hit the track ahead. She stood up slowly and watched as the train started making its descent into the ocean below. “Oh boy.”

She could try and run but that was not really an option. One way or another she was going to end up in the water. She just had to make it so that she wasn’t going to end up dead. That chance came as she held onto the handhold as the train headed straight towards the ocean. She felt her breath pick up but she followed her gut and held on until the right moment. She then released the handhold and pushed off from the roof. She descended towards the water kicking her feet to have clearance and then crossed her arms across her chest to minimize injury. She hit the water with a huge splash.

The next moment Sequoia found herself on a beach. She blinked and coughed up a bit of water that was stuck inside her lungs. Swimming to the surface and getting to the beach was a blur but now things were sort of clear. She took a couple of deep breaths and pushed herself up.

_Stand up daughter of the Sioux, kin to the eagle. Stand up!_

Like a calling, Sequoia stood up and looked around. Her eyes were narrowed until she almost seemed to sense it. “Logan… Hesh,” she breathed as she scanned in one direction. She took off running in the direction she had chosen, her feet light on the ground. It was like running through the prairies and the forests like she did when she was first learning training.

_Your greatest asset is your ability to run. It is not shameful to run. Live to fight another day. It matters not who is stronger but who is faster._

Sequoia ran until she came to a beach. The sand was stained red and it led to Hesh who was trying to catch up with two figures putting distance and one was struggling. The other was… Sequoia narrowed her eyes and put an extra spurt into her legs and sprinted. She ran past Hesh though it pained her but she only had eyes for the one who caused it. She ran until she was close enough and then sprang through the air and kicked her target in the back forcing him to release Logan. She landed on the ground and rolled to an attack position with her hands up.

“Well, well, well. So you did decide to show your face after all Little Charlie.”


	32. Chapter 32

Hesh heaved as he blinked to clear his vision. He thought he saw a huge bird of all things flying through the air even though it had ran past him just moments ago. His vision cleared as he saw Logan writhing on the ground in agony and Rorke facing… “Hawk?” He breathed weakly.

Sequoia was facing Rorke with narrowed eyes as she held her hands ready. She was crouched low and was ready to move. She merely stared with a fierce look as Rorke laughed at her and taunted her, “Now there Little Charlie, you know my stance about manners.”

Sequoia said nothing as she spared a glance at Logan. She had hit Rorke from behind at an odd angle that when he released his leg it twisted his ankle. She could tell he had a broken arm by the odd angle and the way he was holding it and it looked like his nose might be broken. That could be fixed later. Right now she had the issue with Rorke and she watched the man careful as he mocked her with that grin of his.

It was lightning quick she pulled her pistol the moment Rorke pulled his and pointed it at her. She had pulled hers and pointed it at him. They were both extended and it looked like they were aimed at each other’s chests. She narrowed her eyes defiantly while Rorke grinned at her while holding where Logan blew the hole in his chest. He said, “Well looks like I was wrong about a few things Little Charlie. I didn’t think that Merrick would let you in on this fight.”

“Hard to try that when all hands on deck,” Sequoia allowed. She kept her gun pointed at the man as he did her. In a weird twisted way as long as they pointed them at each other, they wouldn’t fire… Well she would, given the chance. With him… it depended on how bad he wanted her. Her hair had come out of the coil at the nape of her neck but it was still in its braid. Loose wet tendrils dangled on either side of her face and her war paint was smeared but she looked still ghostly.

Rorke chuckled at her, taking in her appearance. She definitely was a Ghost. “Nah the best he could do was to hold you back but like Charlie, you disobeyed orders and came after me.”

Sequoia curled her lip in amusement. She would let him think what he wanted. Part of the hunt was to make your prey see what you wanted them to see. “Considering you killed my captain then you would be right,” she replied as she leveled her weapon.

“Then why don’t you get it over with?”

Sequoia kept her gaze on Rorke even though she noticed that Logan was moving a bit on the ground. Rorke was a wounded predator and they were unpredictable enough already but wounded… She kept her gun at the man and replied, “Then my question is why don’t you do the same since you’re pointing that thing at me?”

Rorke looked at her suspiciously. Sequoia kept an impassive gaze; there was nothing to indicate any sort of emotion. It was like a game of chicken with a gun and it was also similar to what he had the Walker boys in on the train but it was different. He moved as if to circle and she moved with him but not faltering. He liked that; it was so like Charles. He knew that bastard had taught her how to be like this. “Maybe I’m keeping you in suspense.”

“Or it could be that you are what you are and that is why the Feds were able to turn you,” Sequoia offered. “I’m inclined to believe that and you’re only hiding behind your so-called admiration for a man who died ten years ago.”

Rorke looked at Sequoia and grinned. It slowly turned to a chuckle and almost a laugh. He used his free hand to shake a warning at her. “You’re good Little Charlie but it’s not Charlie. I don’t even think you have the guts to pull that trigger at me because you want me alive. You want to know everything I know just as I want you.”

“And shooting me won’t get you what you want.”

“You got that one right Little Charlie.” Rorke then pointed the gun at Logan.

Sequoia shouted, “Logan, move!” She fired just as Rorke did.

“LOGAN!”

Hesh had been struggling to stay awake and trying to move his body that was fast giving out on him. He gripped the sand as he watched Sequoia and Rorke face off with each other and their guns. He couldn’t hear the conversation but he could tell that neither was going to back down; hell she had more strength that he did and her own life was on the line. When he saw Rorke point the gun at Logan, his body screamed as he pushed himself up and screamed his brother’s name when the shots rang out.

Logan seemed to jerk from Hesh’s position. He didn’t realize that Logan had moved when Sequoia shouted at him and the bullet grazed his head. It looked like though Rorke shot him in the head like he did Elias and Hesh felt rage build up along with sorrow. That was his baby brother. He was on his feet the moment he saw Sequoia throw her gun and hit Rorke right in the middle of his forehead before charging and tackling him.

He watched as she got to her feet and pulled out her tomahawk and twirled it in her hand, holding the head in her palm. He could hear Rorke’s laughter as he taunted her, “I got one too. Thanks.”

Hesh had no idea how he managed to get closer but he found himself next to Logan who was lying still on the ground. He patted his brother and saw his brother’s chest rise and fall to indicate he was still breathing. He looked up and saw that Rorke and Sequoia were going at it until Rorke got her in a chokehold and ended up blinking when she brought her leg up and he was certain her knee hit Rorke in the face. He started looking around for a weapon apart from a rock.

Sequoia had tackled Rorke after nailing him in the head with her gun. She managed to wrestle the other gun away from him and sprang to her feet and had out her tomahawk. She looked at the bastard with narrowed eyes as she circled Rorke. They charged with her using the handle for defense while Rorke used her old one and swung the blade at her. Rorke managed to get her into a chokehold from behind. She retaliated by bringing her leg up and smashing his face in.

“You’re good, Little Charlie. Never thought you’d be able to handle it.”

Sequoia said nothing but twirled her tomahawk and was ready for the next exchange. She managed to bring in Rorke close and lock him in with a maneuver her father had taught her but he never showed anyone else. They were facing each other and Rorke struggled to break away but she held fast. He wasn’t going anywhere.

Rorke snarled at her, “You little shit. What the fuck?”

Sequoia’s face was impassive as she countered the way she had been taught to prevent Rorke from breaking away. She had one way of ending this but… She heard a gun click and realized that someone else was trying to get in on the fight.

“So you still got a little life in ya,” Rorke was saying. “Couldn’t stay down could ya junior?”

“It’s… over… Rorke,” Hesh was breathing heavily. His hands were shaking even though he had a firm grip on the gun he had found by Logan. He was aiming at Rorke and blinking, trying to stay awake.

“You think you can do what your brother had the balls to do?”

Sequoia had a firm stance. The only way Rorke was going to throw her in the line of fire was if he adjusted his position. Hesh didn’t know that and he wouldn’t risk shooting her. She narrowed her eyes as she managed to see Hesh start to waver. The fact that he was on his feet to some degree was a testament. She had to act fast since he would drop it entirely.

Rorke was laughing, “Didn’t think so. You’re not a Ghost. You don’t have what it takes.”

Sequoia knew it was now or never. She said, “David!” She twisted and put it so the Rorke was in a pretty much perfect position.

Hesh fired but his hands were shaking so badly that his aim was off. The bullet seared across Rorke’s back but it was enough. Rorke released one hand and was able to slip out of the grip. He flung Sequoia until she flew away. She collided with a boulder and dropped to her knees gasping for air. Rorke in the meantime dropped his tomahawk and started towards Hesh. He grabbed the hand with the gun and wrenched it away while delivering a hard kick causing him to cry out in pain. “Didn’t you learn never to point guns at people?”

Rorke gave Hesh another hard kick and he felt some ribs break. He would have given another but was halted by, “Stop!”

Rorke turned to see Sequoia standing there. She was looking at him with a determined look even though she had been winded a bit from that exchange. He looked at Hesh who was writhing on the ground in agony and turned to look at her and asked, “Or what?” He taunted her by pointing the gun at Hesh.

“You want to hunt me,” Sequoia said with a firm gaze even though she knew that both Walkers had some semblance of consciousness, “You have to earn that right. You want me. You have to earn it.”

Rorke narrowed his eyes at her to see if she was tricking him. There was nothing of the sort. He threw away the gun and nodded, “Alright Little Charlie. I’ll humor you. Charlie would have done the same thing.” He stepped closer to close the distance and began to circle her.

Sequoia was ready for the strike and blocked it. She countered with a swing from her tomahawk and had her wrist grabbed. It was still sore from the zip tie and Rorke was able to fling it away. Didn’t matter though… she was good at hand to hand. It was another little secret of the badass Echo Three. She countered with a three punch strike and ended it with a palm strike right to the chest where the gaping wound Logan gave the bastard was. It had him stagger back and grasp his chest while she kept her gaze on him.

Rorke couldn’t help but chuckle, “Not bad. Didn’t know you had that up your sleeves.” He held up his hands ready to punch her like a boxer would and took a swing.

Being smaller, Sequoia was more agile and her father taught her how to use it to her advantage. He also taught her how to play it smart with her abilities. She knew that Rorke was fast too even injured and that made him even more dangerous than usual. She blocked the swing and adjusted her position to get a feel for how the man would move. She had seen what he could do with a gun. Now it was time to see how he would do without one.

One of the major things that Charles Williams taught his daughter was the ability to defend herself. Most people, with the exception of a few close military friends, knew that he was a black belt in martial arts and coupled with the hand to hand they taught at boot, it made him pretty formidable. He was a quiet man by nature but he never hesitated to offer advice to any one of the men he served with and it was usually when it was asked of him. Sequoia had learned unofficially what he had taught her along with things that he had learned from his father going back to the old days.

_Charles was watching his daughter play. It was one of her usual games of stalking the stuffed dog that had been hers since she was a baby. She was practicing her hunting and tracking. He also saw one of her older cousins stalking her. He had noticed this going on for some time. He watched as the boy pounced on her and trapped her. He watched as she struggled to get away and noted how creative she got. It was then he took matters into his own hands._

_“Father what are we doing today?”_

_Charles looked at his little daughter stare up at him with her innocent brown eyes. They had not seen what he had seen; they didn’t know the ugliness of the world. Yet he knew that if he didn’t teach her how to defend herself, that ugliness would destroy her. She may have been born a warrior but she was still a person. He looked at his daughter and replied, “I am teaching you little Hawk.”_

_“But you always teach me,” Sequoia frowned not understanding the question. She looked up at him with her brown eyes trying to understand as she had been trying since he started teaching her things that a man would do for his son. “What is different about this?”_

_“I am teaching you to protect yourself, Daughter,” Charles finally allowed. “I am teaching you so you can stand up to the things that may want to hurt you.”_

_Sequoia looked at her father with a puzzled look. “But you make sure I don’t get hurt. Mother too.” She didn’t understand._

_“I won’t always be around to do that my little Hawk. You must learn to live up to what your name means. The Hawk is a bird of prey, a hunter and he knows his environment and learns to adapt. You must learn the same.”_

_Sequoia frowned a little as she tried to comprehend what he was meaning. Some of it made sense as her little features contorted into seriousness. He looked at her as if trying to understand what he was doing to the most precious thing that was in his life next to his wife. “What is my name?” She asked the question in a solemn little voice._

_“You are White Hawk… Tahatanskah. You are a hunter and warrior.”_

_Sequoia blinked up at her father. She repeated her name in Sioux and said it with pride. She then asked, “Why must I learn father? Why must I learn to be like my name?”_

_“Because you are a hunter.” What Charles didn’t say was what he knew was out there. He had a dark feeling overcome him. Still even if he said it now, she wasn’t going to understand it until she saw it. Better to teach her now so that if she heard it, she would learn and understand. Finally he said, “Because there are other hunters out there that are not hunters. You need to protect yourself from them.”_

Sequoia backed away to avoid a heavy footed kick. She could see why it would hurt Hesh as much as it did. Rorke had power in his strikes whether it was a kick or a punch. It didn’t matter that he was injured either. He seemed to be enjoying it too. That was a dangerous thing in her mind. She wasn’t going to admit it but in between running on trains, crashing, swimming and running… her muscles were starting to burn. She had to end this.

“Not bad Little Charlie. You’re good. You are most definitely a Ghost. You should consider my offer,” Rorke said with a chuckle. He rubbed where the hole from the 44 was in his chest. He nudged Logan’s broken arm since he noticed that the kid was moving and said, “You could learn a lot from her kid.” He chuckled when he heard the hiss of pain and saw the glassy eyed stare. He had intended to miss anyway… so it worked out.

Sequoia adjusted her stance. “You still haven’t earned the right, Rorke.”

“Bring it on then.”

They went through another exchange of strikes and kicks. Sequoia was feeling it burn in her muscles. She was also well aware of a couple of sore spots from the harder ones that Rorke delivered. He was wearing her down with body shots. He finally grabbed her in a headlock and his hand went to the knife on her belt and held it to her neck. He said, “Now hold still Little Charlie. We wouldn’t want to have an… accident.”

Sequoia struggled and felt the nick on the side of her neck. It wasn’t deep but it drew blood. She spat, “I won’t consider.”

Rorke then got real low in her ear. His tone was menacing, “Oh I think you will. Consider this, I’ll spare the kid but you get the chance to hunt him. Do that or they both die here and now.”

Sequoia looked at the bodies of Logan and Hesh. She couldn’t and wouldn’t stoop that low. Even if she said yes, Rorke would do whatever he wanted. She wasn’t going to give in and she knew they wouldn’t either. “Fuck… you,” she gritted and gave a hard elbow.

Rorke grunted but didn’t let go. “Then we do this the hard way.” He threw the knife aside and focused on cutting off her air. He adjusted his grip as she flailed trying to get an edge. “You’re mine Little Charlie and you’ll not only hunt Ghosts… You’ll destroy their souls.”

Logan had been moving since he was coming to from whatever knocked him out. He saw that Hesh was there and surprised at that. He blinked and watched as his brother struggled to move and turned to see Rorke holding a limp Sequoia with that infuriating grin of his. She was passed out and he slung her over his shoulder saying, “You’re mine Little Charlie.”

“Dammit Rorke, you… son of a bitch!” Hesh was struggling to get up.

Logan watched as his brother got a hit to the face and was pushed over. He ended up grunting in pain when Rorke gave him a hard kick. He said, “I gotta hand it to ya junior. You’re persistent. I was wrong about you.” He gave a chuckle and added, “If you live, come find me. You might like what I make of Little Charlie here.”

Logan managed to get out, “Fuck you!”

“You too, son. You’ll meet a real hunter when I’m through with her.” Rorke then turned and started walking towards the jungle. Sequoia’s arms dangled like she was dead. The tail end of her braid hit the back of Rorke’s thigh as he limped and carried her out of sight.

Logan heard Hesh grunting in pain and saw his brother move. The last thing he saw before passing out was Hesh reaching out and shouting, “HAWK!” His brother collapsed and he blacked out and thought he heard the sound of a helicopter rotor getting closer. _Too little too late…_

****

_Being a hunter is not about learning how to track your prey and taking it out. It is also about learning about the environment around you. Remember my little Hawk, it is not about just surviving…_

Sequoia heard the sounds of wildlife in her ears. She knew that she was outside. It didn’t take much brainwork to figure that one out. The question was where outside and why. Slowly she opened her eyes and winced since her head ached though she was certain that she hadn’t received a heavy blow to the head.

Her eyes lighted on dirt but the soft kind that was continually moisturized. She moved her fingers and dug them into the earth. She took a breath as she looked around but tried not to move too much just in case someone was watching. It was habitual but also she wanted to delay what was going to happen and not to give them any excuse to do anything.

Slowly she moved her head and looked all around once she realized that there was no one there at the moment… at least physically. She pushed up with her hands to get to her knees and sit on her heels. She felt her muscles protest and she figured that made sense since she pretty much pushed them to the max with that bastard Rorke. She pushed that aside though as she looked around.

She was in some sort of pit. That much was certain since there was nothing but dirt for the floor and walls. Some vegetation was coming down the side and it looked like it would provide a means of getting out. Then she lifted her gaze towards the top and could see that what was a means of escape was now a means of taunting.

Above there was a grating. The holes were large enough to stick an arm through but it wasn’t big enough for a body unless you were a baby or something. She could see the foliage from the trees above and the late afternoon sun filtering through the leaves. Where the fuck was she? Deep down though she knew where she was. She hadn’t forgotten what Elias had told her what the Federation did to Rorke…

_They kept Rorke in a hole for months…_

She was in a hole and probably the same hole that they kept Rorke in. That meant that they were going to keep her there and try to break her. She knew that was what Rorke wanted. The look in his eyes…

_You’re mine, Little Charlie and you’ll not only hunt Ghosts… You’ll destroy their souls…_

Sequoia looked around as she vividly recalled Rorke’s words as he put her in an incapacitating hold before she blacked out entirely. No wonder her head was buzzing. She paced around the perimeter of the pit still looking at the sky. She was trapped.

_You’ll destroy their souls…_

_The predator is a hunter little Hawk and the worst kind. They are the kind that cannot be stopped alive…_

She looked around. She hated the fact that she was in there already. It was like that fucking sub. She hated that place. The only thing that saved her from going insane and begging for a sedative was Riley and Riley was there because of Hesh.

Hesh…

Sequoia stopped pacing but continued to look up. If they were watching they would just think that she was looking for a means of getting out. It would hide the fact that tears were pricking at her eyes. Hesh was there on that beach. Crimson made a trail from the water to his body… Was he even alive?

Being pissed off at what he did was unimportant now. She wasn’t even mad at Logan. They did what they thought was right. It was all anyone could do even if it was a bad idea in the first place. She sighed as she looked up as darkness started to fall. It came fast in the jungle. She could only hope that Logan and Hesh were okay… especially Hesh. She wandered around looking at what was going to be her cell for the next… how many ever months they decided to keep her in. She was going to get very familiar with it and she might as well start learning how to control her hatred of being kept in a cage.

As she walked around her fingers began tapping a rhythm with them. She tapped them on her free palm since she really didn’t have anything else. They took all equipment that could be used to escape. She looked at her hands and the rhythm she was tapping. She felt her lip twitch as she remembered why she did that. She could do this.

_It is not enough to know how to hunt for survival. To survive merely means to satisfy basic needs. When you are hunted my little Hawk it will not be for just your very existence but for your soul. Only you can decide if you want to surrender…_

Sequoia looked up as the sky darkened. Her fingers tapped the rhythm on her palm. She had faith in them. She would need to have faith in herself. They will come for her; he would come for her but until then she had to have faith in herself as she just came to understand days ago. She would have to be strong like a true Lakota Sioux warrior in order to beat the Federation in this hunt for the soul of a Ghost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it folks. Not quite what you expected eh? As usual any and all reviews are welcome and I won't leave you hanging since there is a sequel to this story. Stay tuned for The Hunt.


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